While Californians continue to wait for a state budget and feel the strain of the struggling economy, Governor Schwarzenegger has three chances to make a difference on another issue that matters to all of California’s working families – lowering the staggering cost of health care.

At the end of August, the legislature passed three important health care bills that, if signed into law, will go a long way toward keeping health care costs under control.

The first, SB 840 by Senator Sheila Kuehl, would create a system for universal health insurance in California, guaranteeing every Californian quality, affordable health care coverage and eliminating the massive inefficiencies of the for-profit insurance system.

Senate Bill 973, by Senator Joe Simitian, would create a building block toward the goal of public coverage by laying the groundwork for a public insurance option. It would build on the success of the state’s existing public health care systems to create an alternative to private insurance companies.

The last bill, SB 981 by Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, would take an important step toward patching the current system by taking patients out of the middle of billing disputes between insurance companies and emergency room doctors. It would guarantee that insured patients don’t end up stuck with emergency room bills their insurers should be paying.

All of these bills will reach the governor’s desk soon, but it will take a massive amount of public support to get him to sign them.

Please take a moment today to email Governor Schwarzenegger and tell him that you want real action to lower the cost of health care and that he should start by signing these three bills.

BACKGROUND:

The California Labor Federation and its affiliates have been working to achieve real, affordable health care reform for California's working families for years. Unfortunately, Governor Schwarzenegger has a disappointing track record when it comes to health care. He has opposed four major health care reform bills in just as many years.

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