The state of California may become the first in the nation to establish a universal health care system.
On Thursday, state lawmakers moved forward with California Assembly Bill 1400 that aims at building "CalCare" for all residents in the golden state.
This statewide health care system would be governed by an independent elected group of board directors, that will guarantee access to doctors and a wide range of medical assistance for all residents in the state of California.
According to Democrat lawmakers, this health care system would be funded by new income taxes on people and businesses alike.
The author of this proposal is Assemblyman Ash Kalra, a Democrat representing the San Jose area. The bill's author commented on the piece of legislation on Thursday, citing studies that suggest that this is the right way to provide a better health care system for all Americans.
“There are countless studies that tell us a single-payer healthcare system is the fiscally sound thing to do, the smarter healthcare policy to follow, and a moral imperative if we care about human life,” Assemblyman Ash Kalra said Thursday.
The subject of health care has been a hot topic over the years, and one of the arguments often presented is that the money incurred by state residents could eventually vanish with the current health care options that include soaring deductibles and high costs.
“What we’re trying to do is get rid of these dozens of buckets of funding — whether it’s private insurance, whether it’s employer, whether it’s Medi-Cal — put it into one bucket,” Kalra added Thursday.
The bill was initially filed in 2020, which puts AB 1400 in a position where it needs to pass in the Assembly by the end of this month in order to pass by the legislature in 2021.
A hearing for California Assembly Bill 1400 is scheduled for next week.
