Calif. gov calls for universal coverage

Yahoo! News ^ | 1/8/07 | LAURA KURTZMAN

[libertarianPA]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday proposed to extend health coverage to nearly all of California's 6.5 million uninsured people, promising to spread the cost among businesses, individuals, hospitals, doctors, insurers and government.

The plan contains elements that are likely to provoke opposition from a wide range of powerful interests, including doctors, hospitals and insurers, as well as employers and unions. But it also contains incentives for each of them.

All children, regardless of their immigration status, would be covered through an expansion of the state and federal Healthy Families program.

"I don't think it is a question or a debate if they ought to be covered. ... The federal courts have made that decision — that no one can be turned away," Schwarzenegger said. "The question really isn't to treat them or not to treat them. The question really is how can you treat them in the most cost-effective way."

Under Schwarzenegger's plan, all Californians would be required to have insurance, although the poorest would be subsidized. Businesses with 10 or more employees would have to offer insurance to their workers or pay 4 percent of their payroll into a state fund. Smaller businesses would be exempt.

Also, insurers would no longer be allowed to deny coverage to people because of their medical problems.

Business groups and Republican legislators are likely to object to the extra costs imposed on businesses.

The state would subsidize the estimated 1.2 million poor people who do not currently qualify for state health coverage. They would be able to buy insurance through a state-run pool and would have to make a small contribution toward their premiums.

Schwarzenegger is betting that his plan will save $10 billion a year by cutting health care costs. He says the savings would offset the new fees he is asking doctors and hospitals to pay — 4 percent of revenue for hospitals and 2 percent for doctors.

The state also would increase what it pays doctors and hospitals through Medi-Cal, the state insurance plan for the poor.

The governor was supposed to give his address in person to a panel of health care officials. Instead, he spoke via video link since he is still recuperating from broken leg suffered in a skiing accident.

[lucysmom]

I hope things get better for you. But I was actually speaking of the woman Marlowe was making claims about.

Thank you for your good wishes. My daughter is now in her mid 30s and by the grace of God, we are both still alive.

I know you were speaking of the woman Marlowe mentioned, I was making the point that being loose is not a prerequisite for ending up a single mom.

[meyer]

I was there, in California, when he was begging for votes. I distinctly remember him saying that he would make it EASIER for business to survive in California. What the hell?

Hey, he's married to a Kennedy. He's allowed to pretend to be conservative for 3 months prior to any election, as long as he returns to his liberal, socialist base.

[blue-duncan]

"You are a complete communist."

Perfection is a beautiful thing. My grandfather use to say something similar. I can still hear yell, "blue-duncan, you are a complete a--ho--" and ever since I have striven to match that perfection. Every once in a while K will say I'm a complete loon, but I don't think she is as serious about the evaluation as my grandfather.

But, congratulation on being complete in something. There are many people out there walking around halfa--ed, especially in Washington, but only a very few are ever achieve completeness in something.

I will cherish the day a complete person pinged me.

[blue-duncan]

"Small businesses ... typically don't hire illegals."

Wow, I'd better tell all my contractor clients that they are missing the boat hiring all those industrious hispanic workers. If they hire legals, then they can bid higher prices and force the cost of building up or they can lose the contracts and hire less people so the tax revenue goes down. Let's see, hire low cost workers who pay taxes and keep the cost down or hire high priced workers and lose contracts and less workers and less tax revenue. Boy, that's a hard one.

[P-Marlowe]

I will cherish the day a complete person pinged me.

Sorry to disappoint you BD, but in one lousy post I was demoted from a "complete communist" down to an "at least a socialist." Wow, that is depressing.

Completion is a fleeting thing. Cherish it while you have it.

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: (Colossians 2:8-10 KJV)

Well, at least that isn't fleeting.

[blue-duncan]

"Wow, that is depressing"

Don't despair, in the words of another great person who through many trials was called many times in the House of Commons, a complete a--, "Never give in, Never give in, never give in!" You too can reach completeness once again. Remember, you are not a politician which automatically disqualifies you from completeness, you are a lawyer, and that puts you close to completeness in something, although it can't be printed here.

I know how the demotion must hurt, but I and xzins and the whole host of neeners that surround you, have the utmost faith that you will persevere to the end.

[lucysmom]

The taxpayers are currently footing the bill for all the illegal aliens, but we don't seem willing to elect anyone who is willing to tackle that mess so we are stuck with a broken system and no viable cure. And when anyone suggests that adopting some kind of system where those who are benefiting from the illegal alien crowd (i.e., employers) pay for the cost of insuring some of these people, they get accused of being a "complete communist".

What I find bewildering is the defense of employers (not necessarily here, but on other threads) who justify paying employees less than it takes to keep them alive and living indoors while trashing the employee when he needs government assistance to live indoors and stay alive. One burdens the system by not being able to, or unwilling to, pay enough to live on, and the other burdens the system by not earning enough to pay for what he needs. Yet it is the businessman who is our hero and the employee who is the bum.

I'm not a communist, but I am not a true believing free marketeer either. I am pragmatic. If we decide as a people that allowing people to die for lack of money is acceptable, then so be it, but then lets drop the concern over abortions. If we decide that allowing people to die due to lack of money is inconsistent with "the culture of life", then lets provide necessary medical care in the most cost effective way possible (you know, the way that gets the job done and respects the worth of my tax dollar).

[lucysmom]

In CA, we can't elect enough people to put a halt to illegal immigration or paying for the illegals already here because of rat gerrymandering of congressional, state senatorial and assembly districts.

We, in California, will never be able to elect enough people to put an end to illegal immigration because immigration is a federal issue. CALIFORNIA, TEXAS, FLORIDA, or any other state, does not have the Constitutional power!

Obviously if we have not been able to do much about immigration with a Republican dominated House, Senate, and President, there are some very powerful forces at work and they ain't all liberal.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and they will be hit the hardest by such a requirement, and they can least afford it.

If small business employs people and either does not provide the benefits or pays less than it takes for the employee to purchase the benefits, they are a burden and not backbone.

[P-Marlowe]

I'm not a communist, but I am not a true believing free marketeer either.

Here at free republic you are either a true believing free marketeer or a commie. There is no middle ground. And anyone who questions the altruistic motives of any small business owner is obviously a Stalinist Maoist Trotskyite.

And remember there has never been a single small business owner who has ever hired an illegal alien because that would be a violation of the law and you should know that (unlike Wal Mart and Microsoft) all small business owners are as honest and patriotic as the day is long.

It is Wal Mart and Microsoft that hire all the illegal aliens.

[BurbankKarl]

And there are a lot that still don't. Those that do pay a surcharge each year to cover those employees hurt and arent covered.

>>>Businesses are required to provide workers compensation insurance for every employee.

I am kind of mixed about this proposal. I think a lot of the "cash society" will get reigned in if this goes through, if only by the EMPLOYERS NAME on the hospital forms.

[ChildOfThe60s]

About the only difference I can see between Arnie and his predicessor "Gray Out" Davis is the level of criminal behavior.

[P-Marlowe]

And there are a lot that still don't.

And those guys are the ones most likely to hire illegal aliens. And when one of them gets hurt on the job they claim they never saw them before... or they claim they were "self employed sub contractors."

[BurbankKarl]

Claiming doesnt mean jack. An injured illegal alien gets full workmens comp benefits.

1/3 of the LA economy is cash based....its a lot more than illegal aliens

[P-Marlowe]

Claiming doesnt mean jack. An injured illegal alien gets full workmens comp benefits.

The UEF will not pay benefits for self employed subcontractors. They only pay benefits to employees of uninsured "employers". So, unless they can prove they were "employed" they get no benefits at all. And if you are here illegally and have been paid in cash it is difficult to prove you were an "employee." In fact it is difficult to prove you are who you claim to be.

[BurbankKarl]

well, I am just remembering this ruling...

http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2005/10/20/61033.htm

[P-Marlowe]

The employer was (a) insured and (b) the "employer."

Frankly, they should have been fined for admittedly hiring an illegal alien, but naturally nothing happened to the employer and the employee got to collect benefits and the insurance company (and ultimately you and me) had to pay for it -- (and my guess is that if they are willing to hire illegal aliens, they are probably willing to fudge on their payroll audits).

Most of the Workers Comp insurance fraud is from employers who under-report payroll or who pay employees under the table or call them "clerks" when they are unloading trucks or working on roofs.

[P-Marlowe]

Here's the irony in that ruling:

"We can't reward people for breaking the law," said Andy Ramirez, a spokesman for Friends of the Border Patrol, a Covina-based group that sends members to patrol the U.S. border with Mexico.

Like the employer was not breaking the law. LOL!

[lucysmom]

And remember there has never been a single small business owner who has ever hired an illegal alien because that would be a violation of the law...

They're not violating the law, they're fighting communism.

[P-Marlowe]

They're not violating the law, they're fighting communism.

That kind of sarcastic wit is deserving of a Neener medal. Do you ever hang out at the religion forum?

[lucysmom]

Do you ever hang out at the religion forum?

No. Would it help me resolve the identity crisis finding out I'm not a conservative, but a communist has precipitated?