SPEAKER FABIAN NUÑEZ
46TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
For Immediate Release: December 21, 2006

Speaker Núñez Unveils Fair Share Health Care Proposal to Cover All Californians

Focus on Insuring Every California Child; Cost Containment; Prevention

SACRAMENTO – Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (D-Los Angeles) today announced a “fair share” health care plan designed to provide coverage to all Californians, including every child.

At a press conference at the University of California Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, Speaker Núñez outlined a practical plan that focuses on increasing the availability, affordability, and accessibility of health insurance to cover all Californians. It emphasizes prevention and wellness; cutting red tape; cost savings; and provides incentives for small business.

Speaker Núñez said the most important part of the plan is that it makes sure every California child has coverage by expanding the state’s MediCal/Healthy Families Program. “You can’t talk about health care, without making sure all California children get the health care they need. This time of year children should expect long lines to see Santa, not a doctor.”

Speaker Núñez’s plan promotes fair share contributions from government, employers and employees. It will require employers to contribute to the cost of health care for workers and dependents in a “pay or play” model. Employers can pay for health care or health insurance coverage, or they can pay a fee, based on a percentage of payroll. Excluded are firms with less than two workers, or firms with a payroll of $100,000 or less, and small businesses that have been operating for less than three years.

“Our plan is designed so that employers who already provide coverage will encounter little or no change in their current practices,” Speaker Núñez said.

Other key provisions include:

• Coverage for all workers and their dependents in firms with two or more employees;
• Coverage for self-employed workers through a state-level purchasing cooperative or a reformed private insurance market; and
• Coverage for employees and their dependents eligible for Medi-Cal/Healthy Families through available employer plans with supplemental coverage, if necessary to ensure Medi-Cal/Healthy Families benefit levels.

The California HealthCare Foundation is developing objective, data-driven estimates of the costs and savings from this proposal.

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Capitol Office: State Capitol, P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0046 -- (916) 319-2046 -- Fax: (916) 319-2146

District Office: 320 West Fourth Street, #1050, Los Angeles, CA 90013 -- (213) 620-4646 -- Fax (213) 620-6319

Assemblymember.Núñez@assembly.ca.gov

SPOT BILL

California legislature—2007–08 regular session

ASSEMBLY BILL No. 8
Introduced by Assembly Member Nunez
December 4, 2006

An act relating to health care coverage.

legislative counsel ’s digest

AB8, as introduced, Nunez. Health care coverage.

Existing law does not provide a system of universal health care coverage for California residents. Existing law provides for the creation of various programs to provide health care services to persons who have limited incomes and meet various eligibility requirements. These programs include the Healthy Families Program administered by the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board and the Medi-Cal program administered by the State Department of Health Care Services. Existing law provides for the regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and health insurers by the Department of Insurance.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations regarding health care coverage and would declare the intent of the Legislature that affordable, quality health care coverage be made available to all Californians.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.

SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(b) All Californians should have access to health care coverage.

(c) Addressing this challenge is central to the health and well-being of all Californians as well as the state’s economic growth and competitiveness.

(d) The rate of growth in health care costs is unsustainable and is a key cause of the rising number of individuals without health care coverage.

(e) Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature that affordable, quality health care coverage be made available to all Californians.