The “Universal Health Care Bill” is once again on the table in California. Bill AB 2200 would establish CalCare, a state-run health insurance program that would reduce health care costs for all Californians.
This is not the first time that such a bill has been presented in the assembly. The high cost of the law has been a major factor in the opposition to earlier versions of the bill. An earlier assessment by legislative experts placed the program’s funding potential between $494 billion and $552 billion.
“The bill, among other things, would provide that CalCare cover a wide range of medical benefits and other services and would incorporate the health care benefits and standards of other existing federal and state provisions, including the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program, Medi-Cal, ancillary health care or social services covered by regional centers for persons with developmental disabilities, Knox-Keene, and the federal Medicare,” according to the bill’s text.
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According to Politico, more single-payer-friendly politicians are in the state assembly, which means the latest version of the measure could have more support than prior versions, despite earlier worries.
This bill is again most likely to follow in the footsteps of its predecessors as the state is struggling with a massive budget deficit. Also, there is no funding framework mentioned in the bill.
This bill would become law after the signature of Governor Gavin Newsom. But before that, it will have to face the Assembly and then the Senate.
Reference: KTLA
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