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Support Of Senate Bill 562 (Lara & Atkins), The Healthy California Act |
City Resolution |
Subject: Support Of Senate Bill 562 (Lara & Atkins), The Healthy California Act
From: Councilmember Kaplan
Recommendation: Adopt A Resolution In Support Of Senate Bill 562 (Lara & Atkins), The Healthy California Act, That Would Create The Heathy California Program To Provide Comprehensive Universal Single-Payer Health Care Coverage And A Health Care Cost Control System For The Benefit Of All Residents Of The State |
WHEREAS, every Californian should have a right to health care;
and WHEREAS, while the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) brought many improvements in health care and health care coverage, it still leaves many Californians without coverage or with inadequate coverage;
and WHEREAS, although Republicans failed in their first attempt to repeal and replace the PPACA, President Donald Trump vows the effort will continue;
and WHEREAS, administrative actions already taken by the Trump Administration, without legislation, threaten to undermine the implementation of the PPACA and increase the number of uninsured;
and WHEREAS, Californians, as individuals, employers, and taxpayers have experienced a rise in the cost of health care and health care coverage in recent years, including rising premiums, deductibles, and copays, as well as restricted provider networks and high out-of-network charges;
and WHEREAS, businesses have also experienced increases in the costs of health care benefits for their employees, and many employers are shifting a larger share of the cost of coverage to their employees or dropping coverage entirely;
and WHEREAS, rising healthcare costs harm individuals, families, employers and communities, and, from the perspective of City Government, cause cuts in other vital services;
and WHEREAS, California is one of the largest economies in the world, and has the ability to stand up for our values and our vision of a society of mutual respect and caring by providing health care for all, even if the nation does not;
and WHEREAS, Senate Bill 562 (SB 562) would create the Healthy California program to provide comprehensive universal single-payer health care coverage and a health care cost control system for the benefit of all residents of the state;
and WHEREAS, SB 562 would provide that the program cover a wide range of medical benefits and other services and would incorporate the health care benefits and standards of other existing federal and state provisions;
and WHEREAS, SB 562 would provide for the participation of health care providers in the program, require care coordination for members, provide for payment for health care services and care coordination, and specify program standards; a
nd WHEREAS, SB 562 would create the Healthy California Trust Fund in the State Treasury, as a continuously appropriated fund, consisting of any federal and state moneys received for the purposes of the act;
and WHEREAS, SB 562 would create the Healthy California Board to govern the program, made up of 9 members with expertise in health care; and would also require the Secretary of California Health and Human Services to establish a public advisory committee to advise the board on all matters of policy for the Healthy California program;
and WHEREAS, SB 562 was introduced by Senators Lara and Atkins, and co-authored by Senators Allen, Galgiani, McGuire, Skinner, and Assembly Members Bonta, Chiu, Friedman, Nazarian, and Thurmond;
and WHEREAS, SB 562 is sponsored by the California Nurses Association, Communities for a Better Environment, and many more;
and WHEREAS, the City of Oakland’s endorsement of SB 562 is consistent with Resolution No. 80617, passed by Oakland City Council in 2007, which endorsed Senate Bill 840, “The California Universal Healthcare Act”;
now, therefore be it RESOLVED: That the City of Oakland endorses SB 562, the Healthy California Act;
and be it FURTHER RESOLVED: That the City Administrator transmit this Resolution to the City of Oakland’s legislative representative for transmission to the State Legislature.
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El Akkad was born in Cairo, Egypt, and grew up in Doha, Qatar, until he moved to Canada with his family. He is an award-winning journalist and author who has traveled around the world to cover many of the most important news stories of the last decade. His reporting includes dispatches from the NATO-led war in Afghanistan, the military trials at Guantanamo Bay, the Arab Spring Revolution in Egypt, and the Black Lives Matter movement in Ferguson, Missouri.
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