Major California Health Insurance Bill on the Cusp of Legislative Approval

A single payer system is not the solution especially government operated. Note the Calif. prison health system is in a shambles, Medi-Cal is bringing hospitals, especially ERs, to near bankruptcy due to arbitrary low reimbursements. Hospitals have to add those additional costs onto their charges to the commercial population. PacAdvantage is not able to provide an advantage to small employers that is not already provided in the commercial insurance arena. This state suffers from a lack of competition in the commercial insurance (HMO and all others) market place partly due to the acquisition of the Calif. based HMOs, Blue Cross and PacifiCare by national companies and the merger of many others. A second significant and subtle factor in the lacking of competition is the refusal of the HMOs to release client claims history. Specifically, the amount that has been paid for claims for previous year. This prevents the employer client from knowing how much was paid versus the premium charged. The employer is unable to negotiate from knowledge with competing HMOs and is unable to choose other alternatives such as self-insuring. Certainly, competition is not the total solution however downward pressure on commercial rates through competition will reduce the cost to employers allowing more employers to provide coverage to their employees.

I oppose government interference where free markets work, but here in California only the insurance companies are happy with the status quo. I can't believe Single-payer could be any worse than what we have now.

I think the passage of any healthcare program that is run by any government is sick.
I have very good coverage now and I resent the fact that I would have to lower my quality of healthcare and take socialized healthcare. That's why we choose the work places that we do because they offer good medical coverage.
There is already Medi-Cal and other coverages available, that most of us are supporting already.
I predict a great number of doctors would flee California for other states if a bill such as this passed.
I have an excellent doctor now and do not feel that anyone would get adequate care with socialized medicine.
It would b no different if we all worked and threw our money into the pot and dispersed it over-all. I think they call it Communism.

The number one problem with medical treatment in this nation is health insurance companies. Should the practice of medicine be about money? No....the practice of medicine should be about taking care of people who need treatment. Take the for-profit insurance companies out of medicine and you save a bunch of money. Make the primary focus of medicine treatment to people who need it....and you've got something that potentially can serve the entire population much better.

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