The California Assembly has voted in favor of a landmark health care reform measure—A.B. x1 1, the Health Care Security and Cost Reduction Act—which is backed by Gov. Schwarzenegger. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. If approved there and signed by the governor, the bill would then go to voters in November 2008.
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The measure would require all Californians to have health coverage either through their employers, through government programs, or purchased on the open market. Employers that don’t provide health insurance to their employees would be required to contribute to a state insurance pool at a payroll tax rate of between 1 and 6.5 percent, depending on the employer’s size. The universal health coverage mandate would also be funded through various other means, including a tobacco tax and a tax on hospitals. In addition, the measure guarantees that no one will be turned away from buying insurance based on their age or medical history.
We’ll keep you posted.
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