California Senate OKs Move To Single-Payer Health Care System
The California Senate on Wednesday approved legislation (SB 840) by Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Los Angeles) to create a state-run, single-payer health care system, the Los Angeles Times reports (Rau, Los Angeles Times, 6/7).
Kuehl said, "SB 840 offers genuine affordability, because our premiums will be based on income and each of us will pay our share, as would employers."
The bill would rely on funding from:
- Employer contributions;
- Consumer copayments; and
- Premiums based on income.
The measure is intended to decrease costs by reducing administrative spending and using bulk purchases of prescription drugs (Boerger, Mt. Shasta News, 6/7).
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) in 2006 vetoed SB 840 and continues to oppose it (Los Angeles Times, 6/7).
Assembly Action
As the Legislature works toward a Friday deadline to pass bills out of their house of origin, two health care-related bills won approval in the Assembly. Summaries appear below.
- AB 1108 by Assembly member Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) would ban phthalates from products for children younger than age three because of concerns about the chemical's potential effects on children's health (Sanders, Sacramento Bee, 6/7).
- AB 1370 -- by Assembly members Sally Lieber (D-Mountain View), Mary Hayashi (D-Castro Valley) and Gene Mullin (D-South San Francisco) -- would expand the time period for biotechnology companies to deduct net operating losses from state income tax from 10 years to 20 years (East Bay Business Times, 6/6).