I. Introduction
As Congress contemplates federal health reform with the American Health Care Act (“AHCA”), California’s state senate has proposed its own version of healthcare reform. The Healthy California Act (“HCA”) (SB-562), as amended on April 17, 2017, would create a single payer health system called the Healthy California program. The bill is sponsored and/or co-authored by sixteen state legislators, the California Nurses Association (“CNA”), and CNA’s parent organization, National Nurses United.
The purpose of the HCA is to provide “universal health coverage for every Californian” under a single payer system. A single payer health system is one in which the government operates a tax-funded health insurance plan for a
ll residents. Under the HCA, all California residents would be enrolled in the program. Health insurance companies could no longer sell any health care service plans or offer health benefits covering any service for which HCA provides coverage. Effectively, this means all private health insurance companies would cease to operate in California. Individuals who qualify for Medicare would also receive those benefits through the Healthy California program. Full Article here.