2003-09-05 -- SB 2 Healthcare Expansion Bill in Conference Committee


HEALTH ACCESS UPDATE Thursday, September 4th, 2003

A Day of Details As Consumers, Safety-Net Providers, and Insurers
Testify

The SB 2 (Burton) conference committee continued today, hearing
testimony from a range of organizations representing consumers,
safety-net providers, and insurers, which mostly were in general
support but with various groups offering suggested changes to the
details. After going through all the input and suggestions, it is
expected that the conference committee will attempt to vote on an
amended draft on Monday, September 8th. The bill would then go to the
Senate and Assembly floors simultaneously, for an up-or-down vote,
before the legislative session ends on September 12th.

CONSUMERS: Most consumer advocates expressed strong support for
covering more Californians while offering a variety of specific
amendments to improve the measure. Testifiers in support included
Health Access, California Council of Churches, Jericho, Older Women's
League, Congress of California Seniors, Pacific Institute for
Community Organization - California Project, National Organization of
Women, Commission on the Status of Women, Gray Panthers, MALDEF,
National Council of La Raza, California Immigrant Welfare
Collaborative, and others. Some expressed desire for a more expansive
bill, or for future reforms that included employers of less than 20
workers, part-time workers, and seasonal workers. Others urged
amendments and further work to ensure worker affordability and extent
of coverage for low-wage workers, and to make enrollment into public
programs as seamless and possible.

SAFETY-NET PROVIDERS: Safety-net providers also supported the measure
and sought further amendments to protect county hospitals, community
clinics, and other safety net providers. It was clear that any change
to the current health care system comes with both concerns and
opportunities for those who provide care, and the members seem very
sympathatic to those concerns.

INSURERS: Some insurers ranged from "nervously neutral" to
"strenuously neutral" to a few being generally supportive. There was
no consensus among insurers about the amendments they desired though
most sought some changes in the proposed underwriting reforms.

OVERALL: The bill is expected to be amended with some of the
suggestions made in the hearings. Many other details and issues are
expected to be left to implementation, after passage of the bill,
which sets up the framework. Obviously, if this passes, there is
significant advocacy work left to do to make this work the best for
the insured and uninsured.

So after two days of testimony, only the business community expressed
opposition and even though they remain unalterably to all employer
mandates (just as they historically opposed minimum wage and even
child labor laws), they did not turn out dozens of individual
businesses in opposition. Instead, consumers, labor, physicians,
hospitals, and many others supported the measure while insurers who
have in the past led the effort to defeat such expansions of coverage
were neutral or mildly supportive.

ACTION: Those in support of SB 2 have a week to urge their
Assemblymember to vote for the bill.

Anthony E. Wright Executive Director Health Access
1127 11th St., #234,
Sacramento, CA 95814
Ph: 916-442-2308,
Fx: 916-497-0921
 awright@health-access.org