Governor Vows To Continue Fight for Health Care Reform
At the Catholic Health Association's national convention in San Diego on Monday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) said that he will continue to push for health care reform in his final years of office, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Schwarzenegger said he would do whatever is necessary to pass legislation to provide health care coverage for most Californians (Darcé, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6/24).
The governor said the only way to achieve reform "is through shared responsibility among employers, providers, insurers, individuals and government -- and that is state and federal government." However, Schwarzenegger said, "We don't want to wait for Washington when it comes to health care reform."
Despite the Senate Health Committee's rejection of Schwarzenegger's health care reform plan in January, the governor said the proposal succeeded in winning support from "an unprecedented and historic coalition of hospitals, doctors, insurers, patient groups, business groups and labor groups" (Frazier O'Brien, Catholic News Service, 6/24).