Senator Scott Wiener. (Photo: Kevin Sanders for California Globe)
Gov. Newsom Marches California Toward Socialized Health Care in Labor Union Sponsored Bill
What Senator Wiener is proposing is far worse than Obamacare, and will tax Californians an additional $300 Billion
By Katy Grimes, October 10, 2023 2:45 am
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Saturday that braces California for universal healthcare – most notably – as a single-payer system that leftists have been agitating for.
This is clearly a march toward fully socialized, government-run health care.
“The law could help California obtain a waiver that would allocate federal Medicaid and Medicare funds to be used for what could eventually become a single-payer system that would cover every California resident and be financed entirely by state and federal funds,” the Los Angeles Times reported, soft-selling the socialized, government healthcare bill.
As the Globe reported in June:
Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) has authored a bill, SB 770, “to force all Californians out of their existing health coverage – including Medicare, employer-based coverage and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) plans – and into a new untested government-run system, with no ability to opt out or choose private coverage instead.”
Known as “universal health care,” it really is just government-run socialized health care. And what the government gives, it can also take away.
Here is what Sen. Wiener says about SB 770:
“In the wake of COVID-19’s devastation, and as costs for working people have skyrocketed, the need to provide affordable healthcare to all Californians has never been greater,” said Senator Wiener. “This bill takes tangible steps on a concrete timeline toward achieving universal and more affordable healthcare in California, by directing state agencies to determine how to secure our full share of federal funding for the new system envisioned by the Healthy California for All Commission. Once California’s Secretary of Health and Human Services has gathered the information necessary for the Legislature to make informed decisions, it will be responsible to bring them to the Legislature for action.
In a savory word salad, the LA Times tries to sprinkle delectable fresh fruit slices on that bowl of greenery:
“Wiener’s legislation represents an incremental approach that will kick-start the process of solving one piece of a complicated puzzle, rather than attempting a massive revamp of the healthcare system.”
This should set your hair on fire:
Michael Lighty, president of Healthy California Now, the sponsor of Wiener’s bill, countered that the legislation promises a universal system, which could include a single-payer system.
“What we made clear is there is no preordained outcome,” Lighty said.
Notably, Healthy California Now, the sponsor of Wiener’s bill, is an amalgamation of California’s most prominent labor unions, Democratic Socialists, leftist progressives, Bernie Sanders loving leftists, leftist teachers and machinists, AFLCIO, AFSME, ACLU weirdos – every special interest group currently tearing apart society and the State of California under Gavin Newsom’s administration. Don’t believe me? Here’s the long list of left-wing supporters at Health California Now, who have no idea that their illiberal utopia will destroy California.
The California Nurses Association, which has agitated for single-payer/socialized, government run healthcare for several gubernatorial administrations commensurate with their rise in radicalization, opposed the measure, contending that the work the bill asks the California Health and Human Services Agency to do has already been done.
The Globe calls BS on the Nurses Association. They called SB 770 an “unnecessary” waste of state resources. But probably what they meant to say is that the bill does not go far enough for the radicalized nurses union, which is no longer about the people and patients they pretend to care for.
This bill sounds economically motivated to me… but who benefits? Certainly not the taxpayer or medical patients.
Senator Wiener claims “California has the ability to establish a system of guaranteed healthcare for all and provide better care that costs less. This bill makes this potential real by establishing a specific statutory pathway for pursuit of this goal.”
Yeah right.
Opponents of the bill offer cogent arguments to this socialization of health care:
A group of health plans, insurers, physicians groups, and the California Chamber of Commerce wrote in opposition to this bill stating that the ultimate goal is to ultimate goal is to force all Californians out of their existing health coverage – including Medicare, employer-based coverage and ACA plans – and into a new untested government-run system, with no ability to opt out or choose private coverage instead. (This is defined as Socialized medicine)
This bill also requires raising taxes by roughly $300 billion a year. (The entire state budget is about $330 billion a year – emphasis ours)
Opponents also point out that any waiver obtained through this bill would not be permanent and could be disallowed by Congress at any time, eliminating 40% of the funding for the new health care system. So California taxpayers wold be paying even more than the estimated $300 billion a year…
Finally, this bill provides little details on how the transition to this system would be achieved, how providers would be reimbursed, and could ultimately cause providers to leave the state.
Typical Scott Wiener – he shoots from the hip hoping his shot lands on its intended target. Hoping, but not caring whether it does or not. He got the required press. He really is a careless lawmaker, interested only in his own selfish pursuits rather than what’s important and good for all of the people of the State of California. Even his constituents would hate this abomination of a bill just when they need medical treatment.
Wiener barely squeaked this bill out – it’s a miracle he got it through the Legislature, and probably only was able to as long as lawmakers can exempt themselves from it (as Congress did with Obamacare). We wonder… is this a deja vu?
As the Heritage Foundation reported, Obamacare promised to “lower costs for families and for businesses and for the federal government, reducing our deficit by over $1 trillion in the next two decades. Yet after 12 years (now 15 years), Americans face even higher costs, fewer choices, and more government interference in their health care decisions.”
“Since Obamacare’s enactment, average monthly premiums have more than doubled—a 129 percent increase from 2013–2019. Deductibles are also higher, having risen from $5,100 (self-only policy) and $10,300 (family policy) in 2013 to $6,894 (self-only) and $13,949 (family) in 2021. Furthermore, the number of insurers offering coverage in the Obamacare exchanges is 25 percent less than the number that offered coverage in the individual market before Obamacare.”
Heritage says the only way to improve healthcare is to:
- Expand access to alternative coverage options
- Strengthen state flexibility to bring down premiums
- Give low-income Americans a choice in their health care
- Modernize Medicare for a new generation of seniors
- Provide consumers with price transparency and stronger consumer protections
What Senator Wiener is proposing is far worse than Obamacare, and will tax Californians an additional $300 Billion – double the state budget in total. Ouch. Is this really Sen. Wiener’s idea of “equity?”
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Katy Grimes really nailed it with this characterization: “Typical Scott Wiener – he shoots from the hip hoping his shot lands on its intended target. Hoping, but not caring whether it does or not…..” Yup, that’s our Wiener!
Obviously what greedy anarchists like Wiener & Friends are shooting for —- universal health care in CA —- would be an unprecedented disaster on every imaginable level if it were to eventually succeed. But this crap has failed before, many times, and we can only hope and pray it will fail again. And…. this is possibly wishful thinking, but….. isn’t it also possible this is simply a bone being thrown to the long list of tireless destructive marxists to placate them and which ultimately won’t have any legs? So although we DO have to watch it like a hawk, maybe it shouldn’t be taken too seriously or added to our long list of worries as a practical matter.
Meanwhile, who would benefit economically? I know it’s not exactly an original thought, but when SEIU & Co. are looming over California like Godzilla and drenching us all with their drool of anticipation for its spoils they will do whatever is necessary to suck from it whatever cash they can, whether there is any money left in the state (or the Fed) to be sucked up or not. Haven’t noticed that they benefit from their greed and their money gain, though. Not in any way that normal people would recognize. The ones I see are desperately unhappy people who are actually useful idiots who don’t even seem to see they are being programmed to serve the evil creeps who manipulate them. And as Katy Grimes referenced above, nurses are now potentially not what they were, as are potentially ALL health care workers and even so-called “first responders,” firefighters and such, following the lead of teachers who, under union rule, don’t give a rip about the children they invoke, and now, potentially all the commie unionized nurses will only have contempt for the patients they will nevertheless invoke for more money, more money. And on and on. As you know
No doubt Katy Grimes was correct when she theorized that Democrat Senator Scott Wiener (the creepy WEF globalist stooge) was probably only able to squeak this odious bill through the legislature just as long as lawmakers exempted themselves from it just like Congress did with Obamacare?
California has become a self service shop for public employees. As the last elections have shown, they are quite comfortable voting the money of their privately employed neighbors into their own pocket. No wonder we are packing up and leave for greener pastures in other states.
This is to give greater gov control over the people — don’t want to be jabbed by the covid-19 “vax” or any experimental drug – you will not be getting any medical services by demand of gov.
Gov will also define what treatment you get by your social score and/or age by some committee to define it.
This is communism
No, this is Technocracy, which is worse by several magnitudes.
Someone PLEASE take away this jackass’ legislation pen!!! PLEASE!!!
Kicking senior citizens out of Medicare is cruel and inhumane.
So Newsom signed this? All you California seniors who voted for Newsom, here is your present. The public needs to be made aware that Newsom is trying to take away Medicare from senior citizens. Newsom is not presidential material.
Those of us who decide to maintain a presence in Cali will be forced to acquire an alternate out of state residence that satisfies Cali’s pending requirements granting itinerate status.
Eliminate private sector businesses; concurrently transition all to wards of the state and full government dependence then establish commissaries to dispense your allotted rations: Could be a great time to sell your vehicle as you won’t be needing it.
IT IS COMING AND SOON
Scott Wiener is a real dick
So is Newsom and all the Democrats who voted for this bill or were too cowardly to vote against it. These are evil people. Anyone who support socialized medicine has a death wish. There are repeated accounts of single payer systems not paying out to have medical procedures done. You can kiss your grandparents goodbye.
Well said and very truthful. Spot on!
Is there really any tax payer left in this state that believes state run healthcare would be better, cheaper and more efficient?
Please, if you are out there, get a grip, open your eyes for the love of God.
Unless the citizens in this state propose a ballot measure that would require ALL government officials and ALL public sector unions to participate in this single payer nonsense it will happen. Wonder if the republican party might pick this up as an issue, naw, might affect their health plan
Took someone to the ER. An 8 hour wait to be seen. This is our future as doctors leave California.
Why not keep federal Medicare and avoid transferring senior’s costs to the state?
WE MUST INCLUDE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND REQUIRE THEM TO BELONG TO THE SAME PLAN AS IS BEING FORCED ON US.
Took someone to the ER. An 8 hour wait to be seen. This is our future as doctors leave California.
Why not keep federal Medicare and avoid transferring senior’s costs to the state?
WE MUST INCLUDE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND REQUIRE THEM TO BELONG TO THE SAME PLAN AS IS BEING FORCED ON US.
We will probably be forced there eventually but nationally, not DMV style brother-in-law law rigged bidding. If it passes at the state level, you will live, die, and have therapies and surgeries based on equity. After the doctors leave for red states, we will die with a cell phone in our dead hands.
Memo to staff: “Don’t shoot the wrong prescription because you don’t read English!”