Posted on 01/08/2007 1:13:09 PM PST by CounterCounterCulture
SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled a sweeping $12 billion health care plan today that would require all Califonrians to have health insurance.
In remarks that he delivered by video conference from Los Angeles, Schwarzenegger insisted covering all Californians was the key to lowering the exploding costs of health care.
``We pay higher deductibles, higher cost for treatment, higher premiums and higher co-pays,'' he said. ``Prices for health care and insurance are rising twice as fast as inflation, twice as fast as wages. That is a terrible drain on everyone and it is a drain on our economy. My solution is that everyone in California must have insurance. If you can't afford it, the state will help you buy it, but you must be insured.''
Among the highlights: The governor would require employers to provide insurance or pay into a state fund that would help people buy their own insurance; he would require insurers to cover everyone, regardless of medical condition; he would require 85 percent of insurance premiums be spent on patient care; he would substantially increase the MediCal reimbursement for doctors.
He acknowledged how controversial his proposal to cover illegal immigrants is, but said it was better than the alternative -- paying for their expensive stays in emergency rooms.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
I have a burning building I'd like insured too. Schwarzenegger's requirement means that people from other states, having been diagnosed with a serious and expensive illness, will flock to California to get covered.
"Must" have insurance?
What if you don't want it, can Law Enforcement demand to see proof of health insurance?
What will be the consequences for not having insurance? Refusal of treatment? Jail?
Universal Health Care for illegal aliens, courtesy of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
MA will confiscate your Personal Deduction on your State Income Taxes. Sounds like a tax on being alive.
Bump.
With 6.5 million Californians uninsured for all or part of the year - more than any other state in the nation - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today shared his comprehensive plans to reform California's broken health care system by addressing the hidden costs that result in billions of dollars in higher premiums and taxes.
In a speech before hundreds of stakeholders, Gov. Schwarzenegger articulated why the broken system is in desperate need of repair.
"More than 60 emergency rooms have closed over the past decade because they didn't want to keep treating people without insurance. Unpaid medical bills mean billions of dollars in hidden taxes for the rest of us because those services all have to be paid for. So we pay higher deductibles, costs for treatment, premiums and co-pays," said Gov. Schwarzenegger "Companies stop offering coverage, which leads to more people without insurance and the whole cycle keeps repeating. Nearly three million people in California whose jobs do provide coverage turn it down because they think they're healthy and don't need it, or they don't want to pay their share of ever-higher premiums. We have to aim high and attack the entire system from top to bottom. We can create a model the rest of the nation can follow."
Gov. Schwarzenegger also talked about the drain on the state's economy caused by health care premiums growing more than twice as fast as prices overall or workers' earnings, as reported in a recent study by the Health Research and Educational Trust and the Kaiser Family Foundation.
A recent New America Foundation white paper estimates the average family pays about $1,186 a year in "hidden taxes" through health insurance premiums to cover the uninsured. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chronic illnesses - such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes - are responsible for $445 billion in direct medical costs and $409 billion in lost productivity nationally.
The Governor's health care reform proposal will reduce the hidden tax, lower costs, support better care and create a healthier California through three essential elements of reform:
"The Governor's plan recognizes that health coverage for all Californians will benefit all Californians," said California Health and Human Services Secretary Kim Belshé. "Just as all sectors of society share in the benefits of coverage for all Californians, we have to share responsibility across the board. Fixing our broken health care system requires changes from all of us - individuals, government, doctors and hospitals, insurers and employers."
All of the details of the Governor's plan are found at www.gov.ca.gov. The Governor's proposal is built on "shared responsibility, shared benefit" where every segment of the healthcare system realizes a benefit and has some responsibility. Highlights include:
Securing health coverage: All Californians will be required to have health insurance coverage. Coverage must be substantial enough to protect families against catastrophic costs as well as minimize the "cost shift" that occurs when large numbers of persons are receiving care without paying the full cost of that care. By ensuring all Californians are insured, this proposal will stop burdening those with health coverage from paying the bills of those without insurance.
Guaranteeing coverage: Insurers will be required to guarantee coverage so that all individuals have access to affordable products. Californians will no longer live in fear of losing their health coverage.
Encouraging personal responsibility for health and wellness: Implement "Healthy Action Incentives/Rewards" programs in both the public and private sectors to encourage the adoption of healthy behaviors. Californians, who take personal responsibility to increase healthy practices and behaviors, thereby reducing their risk of chronic medical conditions and the incidence of infectious diseases, will benefit from participation in this groundbreaking program.
Providing low-income individuals affordable coverage: Very low-income Californians will be provided expanded access to public programs, such as Medi-Cal, and lower-income working residents will be provided financial assistance to help with the cost of coverage through a new state-administered purchasing pool.
Increasing Medi-Cal rates significantly: To reduce the "hidden tax" associated with low Medi-Cal reimbursement and to encourage greater provider participation in the Medi-Cal program, increase Medi-Cal rates for providers, hospitals and health plans.
Improving insurer and hospital efficiency: Require health plans (HMO's), insurers and hospitals to spend 85% of every premium dollar on patient care.
Enhancing Tax Breaks for Individuals and Employers for the Purchase of Insurance: Align state tax laws with federal laws by allowing persons to make pre-tax contributions to individual health care insurance Health Savings Accounts. In addition, require employers to establish "Section 125" plans so that employees can make tax-sheltered contributions to health insurance and save employers additional FICA contributions.
Contributing to the cost of coverage: Increased Medi-Cal rates and eliminating the uninsured will direct $10-$15 billion in new money to hospitals and doctors. Therefore, a coverage dividend of 2% on doctors and 4% on hospitals will be assessed to help cover the increased Medi-Cal rates. Employers of 10 or more (small businesses, which make up 80% of California business, are exempt) who do not provide coverage will pay an "in-lieu fee" of 4% of payroll. Without this fee, the system will see "crowd-out," a system creating an incentive for employers to drop coverage.
"My proposal is a beginning. I look forward to a vigorous and open debate. Everything will be on the table and I want to hear from everyone. If we have the will - and I believe that we do - we can heal our broken system," said Gov. Schwarzenegger.
Calling what Arnold is proposing "insurance" is nonsense. It is a government mandated tax with the revenues flowing to selected companies who will have no choice with respect to prices and coverage. How premiums will be paid by illegal immigrants who can't even be expected to conform to immigration laws is a mystery to me. I voted for Arnold as the "lesser socialist" and I hate that I had to do it.
if I throw a z unto my last name can I quit my insurance and instead have taxpayers pay for it?
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This is CRAP!!! Why is it that every time a Republican gets into a position of importance, they F$#% things up. Bush with the medicare prescription drug plan and now this. Shall we have our government do everything for us...
"If a man will not work, than neither shall he eat" The bible.
What's scary is that if Hillary is elected, she will be able to use Arnold's plan as a starting point for her own national plan, and put a bipartisan bow on it.
OH Please! Are you surprised???? This is exactly the kind of thing that California Republicans were warned about during the recall election and they said that we didn't know what we were talking about. What a joke! California Republicans are getting what they deserve...pathetic!
But that being the case, you have to ask yourself, which part of the scriptures is it where Christ says, "Do the lesser evil?" ... Where is it? Where is it in the prophets that it says, "Cease to do evil. Learn to do lesser evil"? ... I don't think it says that. It says, "Cease to do evil. Learn to do good."
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