Panel Sends Single-Payer Health Care Bill to Full Senate

On Thursday, the California Senate Appropriations Committee voted 6-2 to approve a bill (SB 810), by Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), that would create a single-payer health care system, clearing the way for a vote in the full Senate. An analysis of the bill found that creating a single-payer system to serve all 37 million state residents could cost up to $250 billion annually. The measure does not include any taxes or fees to offset the cost of the system, which would be run by a new state agency.

• "California Single-Payer Health Care Bill To Get Full Senate Vote" (Van Oot, "Capitol Alert," Sacramento Bee, 1/19).