California Leading: Health Care

Last week the California legislature--both houses--passed a bill that would revolutionize health care in the state, and likely would create major pressure on the rest of the nation and the federal government. It is the closest to a single-payer universal health care plan as the U.S. has ever seen.

The San Francisco Chronicle says the plan would eliminate private medical insurance plans and establish a statewide health insurance system that would provide coverage to all Californians.

This bill has a long history, and in the years since it was first proposed, has been refined and its provisions vetted for cost and benefit. It is a very solid plan, and this year has finally gathered widespread support.

"We know the health care in place today is teetering on collapse," said Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles. "We need to do something to improve it, to reform it, and this is what we are bringing to the table."

Now attention is on Governor Schwarzenegger, who is on record as being against single-payer health care, but in his current re-election campaign is offering no alternatives to fix the health care system. He has not taken an official position on the bill, which he must either sign into law or veto.

The polls show a close race for governor, with Arnold ahead of Democrat Phil Angelides. But fixing health care is an urgent priority in California. As the Chronicle says, as many as 7 million people are uninsured in the state, and spiraling costs have put pressure on business and consumers. This ought to be Angelides crusade right now.