Health Insurance

While it is encouraging to see increased public interest for a solution to California’s health care dilemma (“Ballot Proposal Seeks Health Care for all Californians,” Oct. 24), spending millions of dollars on a divisive initiative campaign will do nothing to solve the problem.

It is a commendable notion that all employers should provide health coverage to their workers. But, for mandatory employer health coverage to be successful, tax credits for small-business owners and subsidies for low-income employees are necessary to help offset additional costs. Unfortunately, with this year’s $15-billion state deficit, at least another $3-billion state deficit expected next year and the continuing recession, these funds are just not available.

The truth is, although a majority of small-business owners do offer insurance to their employees, most of those who don’t simply cannot afford to. Small businesses earning $2,000 in annual profit per employee do not have the financial resources available to provide $3,000-$6,000 per employee per year for full insurance coverage.

It is time Californians work together to establish a health care solution all businesses--large and small, those successful and those struggling to get by--can afford. This is the intent of my Assembly Bill 755, which the Legislature will take up when it reconvenes in early 1992.

It won’t solve all the problems associated with health care in California. But it is the first step toward making health coverage more affordable and accessible to businesses throughout the state.

BEV HANSEN

Assembly, R-Santa Rosa