State Initiatives
Although California’s comprehensive attempt to reform its struggling health system ultimately did not succeed, the effort holds many lessons for the nation. The bipartisan spirit displayed by Governor Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Núñez showed that Republicans and Democrats can work together to solve our nation’s challenging health care crisis and proved that lawmakers can reach consensus without compromising core values. This bipartisan effort to cover all Californians united a broad coalition of advocates representing citizens, patients, workers, employers large and small, hospitals, insurers, and politicians. The New America Foundation produced a detailed analysis of the lessons from the California health reform debate and held an event on Capitol Hill.
Covering Everyone
The New America Foundation worked closely with Governor Schwarzenegger in developing his health care reform proposal, which emphasizes both personal and shared responsibility as well as cost growth containment and healthy living. Most importantly, Governor Schwarzenegger’s plan ensures that every Californian has at least a minimum level of health insurance through low-income subsidies, market reform, and an individual mandate.
For more information on Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposal, click here.
For more information on the “hidden tax” caused by the uninsured in California, click here.
Controlling Costs
Comprehensive health care reform must improve access and quality while controlling costs. The New America Foundation worked with Governor Schwarzenegger to incorporate programs into his health care reform proposal that would control long run health care costs. In addition to a commitment to health information technology and delivery system reform, the Governor has proposed initiatives that target diabetes, obesity, and smoking.Covering All Children
In November of 2005 we held an event in Sacramento and released three complementary papers that describe our proposal and rationales for extending health insurance coverage to ALL of California's children, as a first step toward covering all Californians.
