A discussion that is quite likely to continue in both political and public policy arenas in 2019 will be whether California will seriously consider moving toward a healthcare-for-all model.
The Golden State is already seeing new legislative attempts toward universal healthcare, or in other terms, “single-payer” healthcare.
The state Legislature was scheduled to reconvene on Monday, January 7, to begin a new two-year legislative cycle. With a new governor in office and an estimated $15 billion surplus in the state budget, Governor Gavin Newsom will likely see new efforts in the healthcare delivery area early in his tenure.
Bills had already been introduced earlier last month, with AB 4 by Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) proposing an expansion of healthcare access by allowing all eligible adults, regardless of immigration status, to apply for Medi-Cal, the state-run health insurance plan. Governor Jerry Brown did not prioritize healthcare delivery in budget negotiations during his final term, but advocates are hopeful Gov. Newsom will embrace the proposal. Federal limitations on undocumented immigrants accessing publicly funded healthcare would force the state to shoulder the full cost — with a high price tag at $3 billion per year that has prevented past proposals from advancing.
Back in the 2017 legislative session, the state Senate passed SB 562, “The Healthy California Act,” by Ricardo Lara (D-Los Angeles), that would have consolidated all public insurance programs — including Medicare and Medi-Cal — into a single, state-run health plan. Care would be free at the point of service with no premiums, deductibles, or copays, and referrals to specialists would not be necessary. But when SB 562 moved into the Assembly, Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) ultimately shelved SB 562 as “woefully incomplete,” since it included no funding mechanism. At an estimated price tag of $400 billion per year, the cost of SB 562 would be that of double California’s entire annual budget.
Of note, a recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California shows 60 percent of California adults said universal healthcare, one of Governor Newsom’s biggest campaign promises, should be a “very high” or a “high” priority item for the new governor.
It is too soon to tell whether Governor Newsom, with a large Democratic majority in the Legislature, will move in earnest to overhaul healthcare in California. In any event, the topic is likely to be high on the agenda for discussion in Sacramento.
Gabriela Villanueva is CAP’s Public Affairs Analyst. Questions or comments related to this article should be directed to gvillanueva@CAPphysicians.com.