The COVID-19 pandemic is shining a spotlight on the cruelty of the U.S. healthcare system — a system designed to maximize profit, not patients’ well-being. Millions of working-class people have lost their jobs and their health insurance in the pandemic-driven recession. Meanwhile, in California alone, 165 billionaires have seen their wealth increase by $175,000,000,000 since March.

In the wealthiest state in the wealthiest country in the world, this is unacceptable. We must make healthcare a human right for all our residents. We must pass Assembly Bill 1400, the California Guaranteed Health Care for All Act, also known as CalCare.

CalCare is a universal single-payer healthcare program that would provide publicly funded and progressively financed healthcare coverage for all California residents with no network restrictions, deductibles, co-pays, or other limitations on necessary care. This means that a single public body—the CalCare program—rather than an array of private insurers would pay for all California residents’ healthcare costs.

Healthcare benefits under CalCare would apply universally to all California residents, establishing a single standard of safe and therapeutic care. Healthcare would no longer be limited by the narrow terms of an insurance plan or premiums paid to an insurance company. Because insurance premiums would be replaced with progressive financing, there would be no out-of-pocket costs to access care when you need it. Gatekeeper obstacles to receiving care—like insurance pre-authorization requirements, lifetime or annual limits, or network restrictions—would also be eliminated.

WHO WOULD BE COVERED UNDER CALCARE?

All California residents would be eligible and entitled to enroll in CalCare regardless of age, income, wealth, employment, or other status—everybody in, nobody out.

WOULD I BE ABLE TO CHOOSE OR KEEP MY OWN DOCTOR?

Yes. Everyone enrolled would have a complete choice of provider. Members would choose a primary care practitioner or other provider to handle their care coordination—helping to navigate the system and getting the care, follow-up, or referrals the patient needs.

WOULD I STILL HAVE OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS, LIKE DEDUCTIBLES AND MONTHLY INSURANCE PREMIUMS?

No. CalCare members would not be charged insurance premiums, co-pays, or deductibles. Participating healthcare providers and care coordinators would be prohibited from charging any rate, co-pay, deductible, or other fees in excess of the payment established under the CalCare program for healthcare services provided to members.

WOULD ALL HEALTHCARE SERVICES BE PUBLICLY RUN?

No. The CalCare Board, an independent public entity, would administer payments from the CalCare Trust Fund to healthcare providers and care coordinators, whether private or public, for healthcare services provided to members. CalCare would negotiate rates of payments and payment methodologies with healthcare providers and drug manufacturers. Administration of CalCare and the CalCare Trust Fund would be state-based.

HOW WOULD CALCARE BE FUNDED?

Healthcare would no longer be paid for by insurance companies. A broad base of revenue would be pooled into the CalCare Trust Fund and used to pay healthcare providers, care coordinators, integrated health systems, and prescription drugs. No co-pays or other out-of-pocket charges would be made to members.

A specific revenue plan, following guidelines in the bill, would be submitted by the Legislature.

State funds now allocated to health services covered by CalCare would be shifted to the CalCare Trust Fund. All federal funds now received for healthcare, including the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medi-Cal, and Children’s Health Insurance Program, would be combined with state revenue in the California Health Trust Fund. California would seek federal waivers that allow the state to completely fold those programs into CalCare, operating as a true single-payer program. Any other appropriate federal programs under which federal funds and other subsidies would otherwise be paid to California would be paid by the federal government to California and deposited in the CalCare Trust Fund.

TAKE ACTION TODAY TO GUARANTEE HEALTHCARE FOR ALL!

Your voice will make the difference in gaining the support of key state representatives like Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan. For AB 1400 to succeed in the state legislature, Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan must hear from you. Please call Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan today.

ASSEMBLYMEMBER REBECCA BAUER-KAHAN

Phone: (916) 319-2016

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU CALL?

“My name is _____, I live in [your neighborhood], and I need Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan and Governor Newsom to reject healthcare industry contributions and fight for a single-payer healthcare system that puts patients over profits.”

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