Californians want health insurance reform. Republican Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state’s top Democratic lawmakers want
reform. If ever the time was right to make this politically
difficult desire a reality, it’s now.
Californians want health insurance reform. Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state’s top Democratic lawmakers want reform. If ever the time was right to make this politically difficult desire a reality, it’s now.
A Field Poll released this week found that although most California voters have health insurance, many are unsatisfied with their coverage and the vast majority worry that cost is growing beyond their reach. Eighty percent want government to ensure that affordable coverage is available to all of California’s residents.
Schwarzenegger has said that health-care reform will be his top priority during his second term as governor. On Monday, he is expected to release the details of how he plans to restrain spiraling health care costs and insure more people.
Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez of Los Angeles and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, both Democrats, have already outlined proposals that would require employers to either provide health insurance to their workers or pay the state to do it.
Even Kaiser Permanente – one of the state’s biggest health insurers and certain to be a key player in any true reform in California – has offered up its ideas.
So now our state’s political leaders must take up this huge challenge.
It will take more than Band-Aids to accomplish the kind of reform Californians are demanding. The process is more likely to involve major surgery on the health care and insurance systems.
We don’t pretend to have easy answers or a specific prescription for how to get this done.
But we do know it will take political will, courage and leadership from Schwarzenegger and the leadership of the state Assembly and Senate. It will take negotiations and compromise and cooperation from stakeholders.
The many proposals being offered up deserve consideration as the debate unfolds in coming months in Sacramento. We would hate to see the discussion turn into nothing but sniping that gets hung up on non-negotiable sticking points.
All of us would be best served if all parties would begin the debate by agreeing to work toward a solution that’s in the best interests of all Californians.
As is, we have a system that costs too much and delivers too little to too few people. All of us end up paying for the uninsured when they must get health care.
As Californians have clearly stated, it’s time for reform. And now it’s up to our leaders to make that reform a reality.
