Assembly Rejects Universal Affordable Health Care Bill

The Assembly on Wednesday rejected a proposal to ask voters if affordable health care should be a basic right of every Californian after it heard warnings that the measure could be a “blank check” at taxpayers’ expense.

The measure by Assemblyman Dan Hauser (D-Arcata) was defeated on a vote of 43-32, or 11 votes short of the two-thirds required for approval.

Under the proposed constitutional amendment, the Legislature would have been charged with enacting an affordable health care program for all residents of the state within two years.

Although no attempt was made to estimate the cost, proponents of the program said it could be financed from existing sales and income taxes, as well as taxes on alcohol and tobacco.

‘A Blank Check’

An opponent, Assemblyman Eric Seastrand (R-Salinas), called the measure, “a blank check (drawn) on the taxpayers of this state.” Proponents cannot place a total price tag on the proposed health care program, Seastrand added, but “if they did, the voters would turn it down overwhelmingly.”

In reply, Hauser noted that more than 5 million residents, or 21.6% of all those under the age of 65, do not have health insurance of any kind. “It is time we asked the voters of this state for direction in solving the health care crisis in California,” the Northern California lawmaker said.

Hauser added that Massachusetts and Hawaii already have similar guaranteed health care programs for all residents and proposals are pending in New York, Oregon and Minnesota.

Urged to Work It Out

But Assemblyman William Filante (R-Greenbrae), a physician, argued that the Legislature “should not abdicate its responsibility” by placing the health care question on the ballot. “It’s our job to work out the problem,” he said.

Another health care bill aimed at providing insurance for victims of such diseases as cancer, AIDS and diabetes is awaiting a hearing in the Assembly Ways and Means Committee. That measure, which has passed the Senate, would apply to all those who are unable to obtain coverage from private insurers.

The Senate-passed measure, by Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Van Nuys), would set up a nonprofit state pool to cover these high-risk individuals. But the legislation does not specify where the money would come from to pay the premiums.

Earlier this month, the Senate Industrial Relations Committee defeated an Assembly-passed bill, by Assemblyman Phillip Isenberg (D-Sacramento), to finance a catastrophic health insurance plan through an increase in the disability tax paid by workers.