Single-payer plan will never fly

I t is somewhat of a surprise that California lawmakers are considering a proposal that would establish a single-payer form of health care in California since the plan has a nearly zero chance of ever happening.

A bill proposed by two Democratic leaders to remake the state’s health care system was approved by a state Senate committee on Wednesday.

Single-payer health care has long been popular with liberals, but it is full of potholes. According to the Associated Press (AP), the measure would eliminate private insurance companies from operating in California and it would also eliminate Medicare and Medicaid coverage in the Golden State, forcing those people to join the single-payer plan. The bill, by Sens. Ricardo Lara and Toni Atkins, would place all Calfornians into the same health care plan and they want that plan extended to everyone living in the state — both legal and illegal residents.

The AP said the measure would guarantee health coverage with no out-of-pocket costs. Private insurers would be barred from covering the same services, essentially eliminating them from the marketplace. Instead, a new state agency would contract with health care providers such as doctors and hospitals and pay the bills for everyone.

However, we are certain the powerful employee unions in the state will have some say. Unions, such as the California Teachers Association, have bargained for good health coverage for their people, as have the Department of Corrections and all other state agencies. Will they give up that coverage? We don’t think so, but we would not be surprised to see the two Democrats create waivers from the singler-payer plan for union members and state employees. A major stumbling block is how will the state pay for health coverage for 33 million Californians. One estimate placed that at $250 billion a year, more than the entire state budget today. The fear is the proposal would create massive tax increases for individuals and especially businesses — big and small, most of which could not afford the increased taxes.

Also, what will the millions of senior citizens on Medicare do when the state says it is taking away their coverage, not to mention if the federal government will even go along — which would be necessary.

Lara and Atkins say they’re working on details, but we certainly hope their Democratic counterparts don’t go along blindly and pass a law which has not been fully worked out.

The legislation, SB562, would impact everyone — not just the roughly 8 percent of Californians who lack insurance — including people on Medicare and private, employer-sponsored insurance — plans that are generally wellliked by the people who have them.

We hope the two Democratic leaders can get to a clinic and have their heads examined before taxpayers are left sick with the bill and poor healthcare.

Editorials in The Porterville Recorder are the opinion of the editorial board which consists of Publisher Rick Elkins and the managing editor. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily of The Recorder.