Vanguard Radio will host California Senator Mark Leno on its radio show April 29, 2009 from 6 to 7 pm on KDRT 95.7 FM. Senator Leno will be discussing his pending universal health care legislation, The California Universal Health Care Act of 2009 (SB 810).
Senator Leno upon introducing the bill, said:
“As a nation, we spend twice as much per person on health care as other wealthy countries, with the hope that our families will be protected from illnesses, yet most insured Americans still worry about how they will afford critical care if they become sick. In California, 7 million people do not have health insurance. Wasteful health care spending is crushing our economy and forcing families to forego basic medical care. With the money we spend today on health care, California can have a modern, universal health care system that provides high quality care for everyone.”
The California Universal Health Care Act is nearly identical to legislation (SB 840) that was introduced in 2007 by former Senator Sheila Kuehl. The California Legislature passed SB 840 in 2008, but it was vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Last week, the bill cleared its first legislative hurdle, passing the Senate Health Committee on a 7-4 vote.
“California is leading the way to health care reform with a fiscally-sound, affordable plan that allows patients to choose their own doctors. More than 12 million Californians were uninsured at some point last year. Yet with all the money we spend today on health care, we could have a modern, universal health care system that provides quality care for everyone. SB 810 is the solution to our growing health care crisis.”
The California Universal Health Care Act provides every California resident medical, dental, vision, hospitalization and prescription drug benefits. Putting an emphasis on prevention and primary health care, SB 810 invests in modern technologies and infrastructure that help improve care and reduce costs. The plan also reduces administrative waste and utilizes California’s purchasing power to realize savings on prescriptions and medical equipment.
The Vanguard invites readers to submit questions over the internet.
I applaud Senator Leno for taking the lead on this issue. Senator Shiela Keuhl was a leader in the past and I’m glad that he has maitained the fight on this issue.
David,
I look forward to hearing the interview. Can you ask Senator Leno how his bill addresses the costs for small businesses?
I was unable to listen to the radio show. Anything interesting?