Felton Event

Volunteers Take Part in Statewide 365 Day Health Care Grassroots Campaign

Many early morning commuters honked their support for the group of Health Care for All volunteers waving One Care Now campaign banners in support of universal healthcare for all Californians. The Felton event was one of the 365 events planned statewide each day over the next year as a call for action to the growing healthcare crisis.

Rising health insurance premiums and increased use of temporary and part-time workers are leading to a marked shift in health care coverage for America’s workers and their families according to the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education. In 2000, nearly 60 per cent of Californians under the age of sixty-five had coverage through an employer. By last year it had fallen to slightly below 55 percent. The greatest erosion is for low and middle income families, but the impact reaches across the income spectrum. Statistics from the Kaiser Family Foundation agree, finding that the average annual cost of family health premiums nationally has shot up from $6,570 in 2000 to $10,880 in 2005.

Although the California Legislature affirmed citizens right to quality, affordable healthcare by passing Senate Bill 840 last summer, the legislation was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger in September. The focus of the 365 day Once Care Now campaign, sponsored by the statewide Health Care for All (HCA) organization is to add to the grassroots support for passage of California health rights legislation. The Santa Cruz campaign event sponsored by the local chapter of HCA, is scheduled for March 30th, 2007.