Legislation: Passage of Senate bill possible
HEALTH: Reform requires a united voice in the state -
Anita Stackhouse-Hite 779.784.5000 ext 1043

A one-payer health insurance system in California has “a chance," leaders of grassroots movement toward universal health insurance told a small audience Tuesday during a Porterville town hall meeting.

Statewide, concerned citizens now have a greater opportunity to affect change in health insurance than ever before, according to Bill Decker, a presenter and retired English professor.

“But it won't happen without a fight,” Decker said. “Special interest groups and insurance companies have millions of dollars to fight against reform, which promises to reduce the cost of California health insurance by upward of $50 billion.”

Decker is co-director, along with Pharmacist Gary Gray, of The California Health Care Solution/Kings Tulare Chapter. The organization has worked to promote universal health insurance for more than 10 years.

California Democratic Sen. Sheila Kuehl is sponsoring Senate Bill 840, legislation that would overhaul the health insurance industry from a multitiered profit machine “more concerned about Wall Street than caring for people,” to a manageable and patient-friendly system, according to Dr. Dave Roberts, also a presenter.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last year vetoed a similar bill, but the fact that it received the support in both the Assembly and the Senate is seen as encouraging for the future. Schwarzenegger is working on a health care reform plan of his own. At least three other universal plans are being proposed, Decker said.

“[SB 840] won't fly without some horse trading,” Decker said. “We don't expect to pass as it is.”

Kuehl's proposed one-payer system calls for the establishment of a nonprofit insurance plan that would reduce cost of administration and save $5 billion in prescription costs. All premium payments would be made to health care providers by the California Health Trust Fund; all data coming in from providers would be channeled to one entity for maximum efficiency and to prevent fraud.

Currently, $20 billion a year is spent on administrative costs of managing private health insurance, Decker said. In a DVD made and produced by The California Health Care Solution officials, one series of graphics noted that CEOs of health insurance companies make as much as from $10 million to $30 million, annually.

“There is a huge disparity between what the average worker makes and what the CEOs of these health insurance companies make,” said retired judge Ed Bergtholdt, also a presenter. “It has been calculated that it takes the average person one year to make what one of these CEOs make in a day.”

Its current campaign, “One Care Now,” began in August 2006. The organization's leaders and volunteers have so far held town hall meetings in 128 cities, and will continue to promote the message of universal health insurance across the state until they have visited 365 cities. The campaign will culminate Aug. 19 with a rally in Sacramento.

Audience members voiced concerns about unavoidable realities.

To make health insurance reform a reality will take millions of people standing up as one, according to Dr. Dave Roberts, another presenter.

Virginia Gurrola, in the audience, became involved in the movement because of a friend, she said, and reform is needed. She asked what affect passage of the bill would have on small businesses.

Businesses with 10 or fewer employees could have the most economic difficulty if the bill passes, but they still would pay less money than they are paying now, Roberts answered.

Teresa de la Rosa, also in the audience, was concerned about enforcement.

“These insurance companies are powerful,” she said. “If the bill passes, how could they be made to disappear?”

“They won't,” Roberts said. “We've had single-payer plans in modern times under Harry Truman and the whole nation tried under [Bill] Clinton. But it's different now, because corporations like Ford and General Motors have found they can build cars cheaper in Canada because of lower health insurance cost. Many of these corporations are willing to listen.”

Individuals taking part in outreach parties have as much clout, if not more, than corporations, if all goes according to the plan, Gray said.

“This is a grassroots movement, and grassroots movements work with house parties,” Gray said, in response to a question concerning how to get people involved. “We plan to take it to homes of the people and have campaign outreach house parties, invite a half a dozen people and show them the DVD. That's as grassroots as you can get - and it's effective.”

Contact Anita Stackhouse-Hite at 784-5000, Ext. 1043, or astackhouse-hite@portervillerecorder.com.

This story was published in The Porterville Recorder on Jan. 31, 2007

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