Expanded and improved medicare as a single payer healthcare system

Healthcare Basics

• Everyone has the right to adequate and affordable healthcare.
• California and the U.S. have elements of a world-class healthcare system that few can afford.
• “Improved Medicare for all” is a proven, economically powerful solution, that California can lead the country in implementing now.

Healthcare Background and Proposal

In California, a state Medicare for All system should have passed in 2022 when all the elements were solidly in place: budget surplus, campaign promises, a “super-trifecta” in state government (a Democratic governor and super-majorities in both houses of the legislature), a bill to implement and a bill to finance, plus a pandemic in which many people lost both their jobs and their healthcare. Nations smaller and less wealthy than California have taken such systems for granted for decades. California could lead the country toward better healthcare at lower cost. During the 7 years of Republican Governor Schwarzenegger, the Democratic legislature put single-payer on his desk twice; then in 12 years of Democrats Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom, never.

The United States spends more per person for healthcare than any other nation in the world, yet healthcare results are mediocre. Decades of profiteering by the insurance and pharmaceutical industries have brought us to the limit of what we can bear financially, or what we should bear in terms of inadequate healthcare coverage and uneven quality. Many people are uninsured, and many more have insurance that will not pay for the care they need. Out-of-pocket costs, such as deductibles, co-pays, and the cost of insurance and medicines increase every year. Many people, especially seniors, pay for large portions of their healthcare costs out of their pockets, sometimes having to dilute their medications or cut back on their food budgets to afford their treatment.

I propose that we establish an “Improved Medicare for all” system, like a Single Payer Universal Healthcare system. This means health insurance coverage for ALL residents through a single insurance plan offered by the government. This would control the growth of healthcare spending through a simplified administrative structure, consolidated financing and purchasing, and statewide health planning.

That system must offer a comprehensive benefit package, including complete medical, dental, mental health, pharmaceutical, chiropractic, vision, hearing, hospice, and in-home care. No necessary service can be left out. If co-pays and deductibles are included to finance the system, they must be reasonable and affordable. This system should eventually cover long-term care and the medical component of Workers Compensation. I support all State or Federal efforts that would establish such a system.