Health Care Initiative

The Times’ editorial, “Bad Medicine for a Serious Ailment” (Oct. 23), offers a shortsighted look at Prop. 166, the Basic Health Care Coverage Initiative. Prop. 166 is a practical first step toward reforming California’s health care crisis. The conclusions drawn assume any proposal must include total reform or we should do nothing. Prop. 166 will be a giant leap in resolving the crisis of more than 6 million uninsured Californians--about one in five people. To do nothing while the situation grows worse each day would be an unconscionable mistake.

With Prop. 166, California can adopt a health care system similar to the Hawaiian system. In Hawaii, more than 95% of the population have health insurance, either through employment, Medicaid or Medicare. For the remaining uninsured, Hawaii has recently launched SHIP, the State Health Insurance Program. California can also reduce its crisis to a manageable problem, but only if we act.

Prop. 166 will help control health care costs by limiting how much insurance companies can charge, controlling and regulating excessive medical fees, reducing the “cost shift” that occurs when those who have insurance subsidize the uncompensated care, and emphasizing preventive care.

The employer mandate to provide health insurance for employees working more than 17.5 hours per week will not result in employers cutting full-time work to part-time to get around the mandate. The added administrative costs of having more employees and a decline in productivity per hour will greatly discourage this, as the Hawaii example proves.

Yes, Prop. 166 will require a waiver from federal law. Hawaii, a much smaller state, has a waiver. If voters of the most populous state in the union, California, seek it, Congress will stand up and notice. California will then join a coalition of 10 other states that have tackled their health care crisis and are in need of waivers of their own.

Help secure your health care. Please vote “yes” on Prop. 166.

RICHARD F. CORLIN MD

President

California Medical Assn.

San Francisco