Hi. My name’s James Atkinson. I’m a union editor, I’m volunteering for Healthy California, a universal health care campaign, and I wanted to ask you for help.
Here’s the Deal
Healthy California (SB-562) is single payer health care bill in the California state senate. It’s like a statewide version of “Medicare for all” - it would provide great health insurance to every California resident, and lower costs for about 90% of us. It’s not a pipe dream - it has momentum & could actually pass, since California’s state government has a Democratic supermajority. One crucial ingredient to making this happen is popular pressure - California Dems are more likely to vote in favor of SB-562 if they know their constituents want it badly.So far, multiple unions have already endorsed SB-562 and I’d like to add Editor’s Guild to that list! I’ve talked with the Editors Guild office a bit, and it seems like they’d like more info on the bill before making a decision.
I want to give them that info! I’ve talked with Labor For Health Care - they’re kind of like the union outreach team for Healthy California. They’d love to send a policy expert to give a presentation to the Guild (this would also give the Guild an opportunity to give feedback on the bill). My plan is to send a very polite letter asking the Guild to hear them out, and alongside that letter, I want to include a pro SB-562 petition featuring union editors like you and me!
The Only Thing You Need To Do
If you’re an Editor’s Guild member and you’d like to help, and all I need you to do is sign this petition(by signing it, you’re basically saying “I support SB-562, and I’d like Editors Guild to meet with the campaign and explore the bill”.)
Please feel free to forward this page to any other union editors who might be interested! Also, please email me if you want to get more involved with the campaign.
Thanks!
- James
Okay, You Can Stop Reading Now
… but if you’re curious here’s a FAQ:Q: Why should a union member support universal health care? We’ve already got a great plan.
Here’s 3 reasons:
1: Under Healthy California, you can keep your health coverage no matter what, even if you’re too sick/injured to work. This is one of private health insurance’s big weaknesses - if you get too sick to work, you lose your job AND your coverage! I have personal experience with this: When I was in high school, my dad got cancer. He couldn’t work, and our family eventually declared bankruptcy.
2: Private health insurance eats your paycheck. American health care is expensive, and the costs are increasing faster than the rate of inflation. As these rates go up, the studios shift the costs over to us (which means we get raises less frequently). One example of this phenomenon: the recent WGA negotiation where health fund contributions were a central issue. Cost shifting is a widespread phenomenon in the US. A recent survey for University of South Carolina says 71 percent of Fortune 500 companies plan to raise employee contributions for their health insurance.
3: The Cadillac Tax (aka The Excise Tax) This sounds boring but it affects your life! It keeps getting delayed, but eventually (maybe by 2020) a 40% excise tax will be levied on all insurance costs in excess of $10,200 per year for single coverage and $27,500 for family coverage. As In These Times puts it: “These caps are set to rise at a much slower rate than the costs of health insurance, which means nearly all union-negotiated plans will eventually face the choice between radical cuts to coverage or paying the hefty tax.”
Q: How much will this cost me? How is the bill funded?
The California State Senate Appropriations Committee is discussing this right now (and an economist is preparing an impartial financial report due within a month or so), so soon there will be more precise answers.
For now, I can tell you that it would be funded by…
1) Savings:
Public health insurance is more efficient than private plans, and a big patient pool of 40 million Californians will have the leverage to negotiate much lower prices from health care providers.
2) Already existing public funds:
Taxpayers already pay for about 70% of healthcare expenses. Healthy California will consolidate these funds, and direct them to this new universal plan.
3) The remaining percentage will be covered by a new progressive tax mix:
“Taxes” is a taboo word, but this would be a net savings for 90% of Californians. Instead of having a chunk of your pay go to Kaiser or Blue Cross (ie our current system), a smaller chunk would go to Healthy California. Also, there would be no out of pocket costs (like deductibles or co-pays) for anyone in the state.
Q: Are the benefits good?
The benefits are great and compare well to our plan.
(I copied the below section directly from the bill and bolded some of my favorites)
“Covered health care benefits for members shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
(1) Licensed inpatient and licensed outpatient medical and health facility services.
(2) Inpatient and outpatient professional health care provider medical services.
(3) Diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, and other diagnostic and evaluative services.
(4) Medical equipment, appliances, and assistive technology, including prosthetics, eyeglasses, and hearing aids and the repair, technical support, and customization needed for individual use.
(5) Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitative care.
(6) Emergency care services.
(7) Emergency transportation.
(8) Necessary transportation for health care services for persons with disabilities or who may qualify as low income.
(9) Child and adult immunizations and preventive care.
(10) Health and wellness education.
(11) Hospice care.
(12) Care in a skilled nursing facility.
(13) Home health care, including health care provided in an assisted living facility.
(14) Mental health services.
(15) Substance abuse treatment.
(16) Dental care.
(17) Vision care.
(18) Prescription drugs.
(19) Pediatric care.
(20) Prenatal and postnatal care.
(21) Podiatric care.
(22) Chiropractic care.
(23) Acupuncture.
(24) Therapies that are shown by the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health to be safe and effective.
(25) Blood and blood products.
(26) Dialysis.
(27) Adult day care.
(28) Rehabilitative and habilitative services.”
[it goes on for a while longer, read the bill here if you’re curious]
Q: Why do I care about this?
I have a few reasons!
For one, last year, my Mom had a liver transplant. She’s doing great now, and one thing that save her life (and saved us from another bankruptcy) was the fact she had a single payer insurance program - Medicare. I think more people deserve these kind of great benefits!
Also, at the hospital, I met a lot of transplant patients - and I learned they have to fight through debilitating, multi-year symptoms (like chronic pain, immobility, comas, childlike confused thoughts, etc). They also have very intense medical needs (for example, my mom takes expensive immunosuppressants a few times a day - if she misses a dose, or can’t afford one, it could be fatal). These patients *already* face very difficult challenges - if Trump’s AHCA goes through, it would literally be a death sentence for some of them. Healthy California could make their lives a lot better. Anyway that’s one reason why I have a sense of urgency about this.
If you’re curious, here’s a good article on the nightmare that is liver failure under our current health care system.
Q: What happens next?
The California State Senate health care committee just voted YES on the bill. The Appropriations Committee votes on it within a month or so. Right now the campaign is focusing on canvassing those senators.
Q: What’s the long term time frame?
This is a big campaign with a lot of variables. I’ve heard people estimate it could take 1-2 years to pass this bill.
Q: How can I help?
1) You can join the campaign and get regular updates on how to help (we’ll be canvassing regularly)
2) You can donate to support campaign activities (like bussing supporters to Sacramento to rally Senators)
3) If you know anybody else in any other union who supports single payer, feel free to have them email me! I’m working with the campaign on a broader outreach effort.
4) If you want to train to speak/campaign for the bill, join the campaign, and contact your regional coordinator.
Q: What if I have more questions?
The flyers on Healthy California’s page answer a bunch of questions!
Also, you can email me, or contact Labor for Healthcare!
