California single-payer health care would save us money
The Bee editorial regarding SB 562 (June 6), California’s universal health-care proposal, totally misses the mark.
Californians spend $384 billion per year on health care with 2.5 million uninsured and 12.5 million underinsured. This means the additional cost of universal health care is $16 billion, which will be made up for in savings from SB 562.
Meanwhile, studies show that with the status quo California’s annual health-care spending will reach $587 billion in 10 years.
Where does health care funding currently come from?
Allow me to quote Tim Redmond, former executive editor of the Bay Guardian and a backer of universal health care:
“That money we pay now for a dysfunctional system comes from the same place the state budget comes from – federal reimbursements and individuals and businesses who pay taxes. There’s no difference between money that I pay every month out of my pocket for health insurance and money that I could pay every month in taxes to the state so that everyone has health insurance – except for the fact that if I paid the money to the state, it would cost me a lot less.”
Alan Cheah, Oakhurst
This story was originally published June 12, 2017 at 11:40 AM with the headline "California single-payer health care would save us money."