We had a great Senate Appropriations hearing today on SB 810 with a stellar panel of speakers and more than 150 supporters from a good representation of unions, community, single payer groups, faith, small business owners, schools and municipalities. Panelists included:

• Jim Kahn, MD, MPH, UCSF Professor and Physician who focusing on Single Payer financing and the fiscal benefits the state would realize through a single payer system.
• Mona Field, Board of Trustees for Los Angeles Community College District who spoke on the savings Community colleges, higher educations and K-12 would realize through a single payer system – focusing funding back towards the classroom.
• Roger Hicks, Small Business Clinic owner and Physician who told his compelling story of the struggles of his small business to cover their employees when costs continue to rise, while as a provider reimbursements stay stagnant year after year – all while his employees, is patients and his business suffer.
• DeAnn McEwen, Co-President California Nurses. A Registered Nurse of more than 37 years spoke of the nurses support and the moral imperative to move to a single payer system.
• Dolores Duran-Flores, Legislative Advocate for the California School Employees shared members stories, some of whom actually sign over their check (or even write a check) at the end of the month to cover healthcare.

Senators Pavley, Lieu, Price, and Alquist all gave very supportive statements of the bill. And thanks to all of your had work with letters, calls and meetings with Senator Price – he has signed on as a co-author for the bill! In addition Senator Alquist asked to step up her support to the next level as principal co-authors.

What action was taken by the Appropriations Committee?

As expected, the bill was moved to the Suspense file where they will decide on Thursday if it is moved to the Senate floor or not, if it does not move to the Senate floor Thursday we will not be able to get it out of the Senate and keep moving the bill this session. So this decision is critical to the life of the bill. Committee Chairwoman Kehoe and Senate Pro Tem Steinberg are key to help us move forward. Please continue to contact their office.

Call to action – Our next steps!

1.      Call or email/write Senators Kehoe and Steinberg and thank them for supporting SB 810 and ask them to move the bill to the Senate floor so the full Senate can have a chance to decide if they will move Single Payer in California forward and help save our state’s budget.

Senator Christine Kehoe, San Diego Area (Appropriations Committee Chair)

Phone: (916) 651-4039
Fax:     (916) 327-2188

Email senator.kehoe@sen.ca.gov

Senator Darrell Steinberg, Sacramento Area (Senate Pro Tem, Appropriations Committee Member)

Phone:  (916) 651-4006

Fax:  (916) 323-2263

Email: Senator.Steinberg@senate.ca.gov

2.      Call or email/write Senator Curren Price to thank him for his for signing on to SB 810 as a co-author.

Senator Curren Price, Los Angles/Hollywood area

Phone: (916) 651-4026
Fax: (916) 445-8899

Email: senator.price@sen.ca.gov

 3.      Important points for contacting your Senator:

• Phone calls are brief and to the point
  • Tell them your, name and if you live in their district, and you are calling as a supporter of SB 810 and you are asking that they…
  • They will likely ask for your address or if you live in the district. Check here to see if you are represented by any of the above: http://senate.ca.gov/senatedistricts

• If you are writing, tell a personal healthcare story if you have one
  • Stories related to increases in healthcare costs, limited access, denied care, unaffordable, bankruptcy, children who cannot get insurance, etc. are important for educating legislators on the impact to Californians and very compelling.

• Talking points for calls and letters:
  • 1,000 Californians die every month due to lack of access to healthcare.
  • Single Payer as a solution to the State’s current fiscal crisis by saving $9 billion in the first year and billions annually going forward. Currently $28 billion dollars annually, or one third of the state budget, is related to healthcare, and while family premiums have gone up 150% – the time for Single Payer is now.
  • The $200 billion price tag for SB 810 is misleading – this is money already spent on healthcare – not a new expenditure, so there is no effect.
  • California must meets the challenge presented by President Obama – for states to do better than the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This is why he allowed states to request waivers to implement healthcare programs that can do better.

Keep up the great work! We’re moving close and closer to making Single Payer a reality in California!