Single-payer health care: dead in Washington, but alive in the states

Two state legislatures – Vermont and California – have, in fact, passed single-payer legislation in recent years only to have them vetoed by Republican governors. But California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) is ineligible to run for a third term and Gov. Jim Douglas (R) of Vermont has decided not to seek reelection. Either of these states could soon become the first to pass a statewide, public healthcare system that covers everyone.

State attorney general targets health insurers

The California attorney general's office opened an investigation Thursday into allegations that the state's largest health insurers were rejecting medical claims at alarming rates. ...

... The nurses union said some of the companies had denial rates between 27 percent and 40 percent during the first six months of this year, with PacifiCare rejecting 39.6 ercent of claims it received.

The CNA said Cigna rejected 32.7 percent, Health Net 30 percent, Kaiser Permanente 28.3 percent and Blue Cross 27.9 percent.

You only THINK you have insurance.

[Welcome, Digby readers!]

Below is a great, in-depth report by Al Jazeera on the failure of the richest state in the United States and how the government cuts deal a lethal body blow to Californians, particularly the working class and those below poverty. The rabid, right-wing is truly holding the state hostage with Da Governator leading the assault on the most vulnerable.

Part One

SEIU may be linked to ultimatum on withholding stimulus funds

Reporting from Sacramento -- Officials in the governor's office say a politically powerful union may have had inappropriate influence over the Obama administration's decision to withhold billions of dollars in federal stimulus money from California if the state does not reverse a scheduled wage cut for the labor group's workers.

The officials say they are particularly troubled that the Service Employees International Union, which lobbied the federal government to step in, was included in a conference call in which state and federal officials reviewed the wage cut and the terms of the stimulus package.

Maine single-payer measure gets hearing

AUGUSTA, Maine—The Maine Nurses Association says registered nurses from throughout the state will be joined by physicians, patients and health care activists Monday at a legislative hearing on a single-payer health care bill sponsored by Democratic Rep. Charles Priest of Brunswick.

New California Single-Payer Bill Passes First Hurdle

SB 810 passed the Senate Health Committee on a party line vote. The bill next heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

 Read more…

City of Santa Monica Endorses Single-payer Healthcare

On April 14, the Santa Monica City Council voted unanimously to support both SB810 and HR676, endorsing universal single-payer healthcare at the state and national levels.

Bay Area single payer health reform activists go to state capitol

Bay Area single payer health reform activists go to state capitol on 4/15/09 for the first hearing on SB 810, the California Universal Healthcare Act; to lobby legislators; and the hearing crowd is overwhelmingly supportive of SB 810; passes the Senate Health Committee by a 7 to 4 vote.

National Nurses Movement has a wonderful diary at MyDD about all the single payer bills in the states (but leaves out the legislation in Maryland). Please read about all the good news in California, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, and Washington.

Clearly single payer is a political winner, witness the increasing momentum in an atmosphere where the national media has airbrushed out all discussion of single payer.

The most important thing is to make sure that whatever Obama does, no federal legislation prohibit the states from creating their own single payer systems.

White House Summit In Denial On Regulating Health Care Costs

The California Nurses Association brought nearly one thousand nurses and activists to a rally on the street outside the forum. Their calls for a Medicare For All system weren't heard in the auditorium, but guests couldn't miss the message as we entered the auditorium. The testimonials from patients inside were heart breaking, but none of the answers from so-called stakeholders inside were compelling. None of the solutions dealt with how patients who lost coverage would be able to afford it again under an overhaul where the only cost savings come fro medical prevention.

Montana: Letter to the HelenaIR.com

In presenting his national health care plan, “A Call to Action — Health Reform 2009,” Sen. Max Baucus said, “My door is open and I seek partners with ‘can-do’ spirits and open minds.” Earlier though, in the health care forums he held around Montana, Baucus stated very strongly that a single-payer health care plan “is off the table.”

Believing that the Senator’s “door is open,” I maintain that a single-payer system must be on the table because it can help save our present and future economic well being as a state and nation. ...

 Read more…

New Study Shows Prop. 8 Success “Not Personal” --

If you live in California and are a Republican, attend church at least once a week, hold socially conservative views, and are 65-years-old or older, you most likely voted "Yes" on Proposition 8 to repeal marriage equality for your gay and lesbian neighbors. In addition, you are most likely male and probably even know someone, or are related to someone, who is gay or lesbian—but you still supported Prop 8.

 Read more…

Residents send health care reform recommendations to Obama

The results are in and the word is out to the Obama-Biden transition team: Sonoma wants sweeping health care reform.
At a Sonoma Valley community discussion last week, part of a nationwide response to invitations from the Obama-Biden transition team to communities throughout the country to speak up on health care, nearly 70 people spoke out individually and worked together in groups to express the problem and recommend solutions to what many described as a broken system.

 Read more…

Meet your candidates: state Assembly, 54th District

Q: Some California legislators have pushed for a single-payer health care program. Do you believe that such a plan like AB 840, authored by state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, would work? If so, how would residents’ medical care controlled by a state office be affected by state budget cuts?

 Read more…

Single-payer plan passes Calif. Assembly

The Gropinator still has to sign it, but this is an important victory.

"... the Obama campaign next week will kick off “Barack Obama: Faith, Family, and Values Tour,” designed to woo the votes of left-leaning Catholics, progressive Evangelicals, and some conservative mainline Protestants. If LGBT people find the tour eerily reminiscent of the South Carolina gospel tour the campaign arranged last year with antigay "ex-gay" gospel singer Donnie McClurkin, their instincts may not be far off.

CBN names Catholic legal scholar Douglas Kmiec as one of the religious surrogates who will hit the road stumping for Obama. Kmiec wrote a June 13 op-ed for the San Francisco Chronicle supporting California's Proposition 8, the ballot measure to ban same-sex marriage ..."

California Gold Standard for Health Care Financing?

Sitting on the governor's desk awaiting signature at this moment is Senate Bill 840, considered to be the gold standard in single-payer health care financing bills. Imagine your current health plan, however good or bad it might be, then add comprehensive coverage of dental care, vision care (including eyeglasses), mental care, hospice, hearing aids, chiropractics, acupuncture, preventive care, substance abuse treatment, the list goes on, and of course prescription drugs. Now remove all of the co-payments and deductibles.

POTENTIAL SCHWARZENEGGER RECALL? GREAT HEALTHCARE OPPORTUNITY??

In a season of wild stories, here’s the next one: Governor Arnold is facing a recall, just as his state is falling apart and some crucial healthcare bills are waiting to be signed. This new threat to his term opens a window of opportunity to push some of those bills through.

 Read more…

California Health Bills Heading to Governor's Desk Need Your Help

Getting The Word Out About Single Payer

C4O Spotlight: Let's get Debbie Cook (CA-46) on the air!

Today, the C4O All Stars spotlight shines on Debbie Cook, mayor of Huntington Beach, California and candidate for California's 46th Congressional District.

 Read more…

Will the Gropinator sign it?

A universal health care plan is headed for the governor's desk again.

The bill by state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, a Santa Monica Democrat, would create a state-financed Medicare-for-all style system to cover all Californians. It cleared the state Assembly on Friday by a 43-31 vote.

The plan would be funded through state and federal appropriations, patient premiums and co-payments limited annually to $250 per person or $500 per family.

How much do you pay in health care premiums? Readers?

Raising awareness about single-payer health care

On Sept. 20, we will be holding a silent art auction at Seaman's Lodge, Nevada City, in conjunction with the South Yuba River Citizens League's 25th anniversary celebration. All the fine art is being donated by California artists both locally and statewide. All the funds generated will go toward informing and making the general public aware concerning a single-payer health care system. Please come and support this effort.

Insurance Cancellation Questions Could Spread Beyond California

Today’s Health Blog jargon of the day is rescission, the insurance industry’s practice of revoking individual insurance policies because of health-related mistakes or omissions on the application for coverage. ...

... Now it looks like the push-back against rescission may be spreading. Henry Waxman, a Democratic California Congressman, held a hearing on the subject yesterday and said his oversight committee plans to investigate the issue nationally.

 Read more…

Tragedy!

Poor William L. Jews. His compensation package for leaving his position as CareFirst CEO has been cut by more than half. This means Mr. Jews will not get the $18 million severance he was expecting, but will receive less than 9 million bucks. Can you imagine having to get by on just shy of 9 million bucks? I mean, you can't even buy a decent Santa Barbara estate for that kind of money anymore.

Why was this outrage perpetrated? Well, it seems CareFirst is a nonprofit health provider

How much health care does $9 million buy in California?

I was going to write a great post about this idea, but readers will have to make do with slap dash. In order to pass single payer we need to completely discredit the health insurance companies. In order to achieve this we will need their help. Fortunately they are willing to cooperate.

Thus today's disgrace: Blue Shield sued for allegedly canceling policies

The Los Angeles city attorney is suing Blue Shield of California for allegedly bilking policyholders when they tried to make claims.

WellPoint Agrees To Pay $11.8M to California Hospitals Over Health Insurance Policy Cancellations

Insurers: Women are just too risky