Insured and Uninsured

A measure (SB 48) by Senate President Pro Tempore Don Perata (D-Oakland) is intended to expand health insurance coverage to all California workers and dependents through mandatory employer and employee contributions. The bill was amended to include a deadline of 2011 for employees to obtain health insurance coverage and eliminate citizenship requirements for children to qualify for Medi-Cal. Other amendments address steps that would be taken as part of an effort to help small businesses provide insurance benefits (Bill text, 5/1). The bill is before the Senate Rules Committee (Bill status, 5/1).

Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez's (D-Los Angeles) bill (AB 8) to overhaul California's health care system was amended to move the deadline from 2009 to 2008 for health plans to limit administrative costs and profit to 15% of premium income. The legislation would expand health care coverage to all California children and require employer contributions (Bill text, 5/1). The bill is under consideration in the Assembly Appropriations Committee (Bill status, 5/1).

The Senate Appropriations Committee is considering legislation (SB 840) by Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Los Angeles) (Bill status, 4/30). The measure -- which would establish a single-payer, state-run health care system in California -- was amended to establish compensation guidelines for managers of the proposed health care system and modify provisions of the bill dealing with administration of the system (Bill status, 4/30).

The Assembly Appropriations Committee also is considering legislation (AB 1) by Assembly member John Laird (D-Santa Cruz). The measure would expand eligibility for Medi-Cal and Healthy Families to children of families whose incomes do not exceed 300% of the federal poverty level, regardless of citizenship or immigration status (Bill status, 5/1).