“Governor
Schwarzenegger’s health care proposal has taken several important steps
forward by recognizing the need to regulate some of the worst practices
of health care insurers.
“We
are particularly pleased with the Governor’s proposal to require
insurers to offer health insurance to all Californians and to spend a
significant amount of premium dollars on actually providing care. The
current practice of excluding any individual that might have even the
smallest of health problems undermines the very idea of pooling risk
through insurance.
“The
administration’s plan does, however, fall short in some important
respects. While Governor Schwarzenegger wants to have everyone at the
table, employers are largely allowed to skip out on the dinner tab. The
modest requirement that employers contribute 4% of payroll to health
care costs simply is not enough to guarantee coverage to the millions
of Californians that currently lack it.
“By
requiring individuals to purchase health insurance regardless of the
price of that coverage or their ability to pay, this proposal gives a
blank check to insurance companies without enough safeguards to ensure
that coverage is affordable.
“We
appreciate the Governor’s commitment to working on this issue and will
continue working on this and many other proposals throughout the year
to ensure that all Californians have access to high quality, affordable
health care.”
