Support Urged For California Healthcare Security Plan

Jim Smith

Dear Friends,

The campaign to build support for a single-payer health care initiative on the Nov. 2008 California ballot is off and running.

The California Health Security Plan would be free - no co-pays, no deductibles, no premiums - and would provide quality health care to all Californians.

The Initiative has be submitted to the California Attorney General for a title, summary and issuance of petitions to put it on the ballot. We expect to have the petitions in November. We want this to be a mass movement with thousands of Californians endorsing and collecting signatures on the petitions. That's the only way we can win against the wealth of the insurance companies who will no longer be able to make a profit off people's illnesses.

We have a website: http://www.CaliforniansforHealthSecurity.org . Click on this link to read the simple language that can bring us the kind of health care that most civilized countries enjoy - and where people live longer and have lower infant mortality.

You can also use this link to add your name to the growing list of endorsers. Or you can endorse by sending an email to CHSInitiative(at)gmail.com. The campaign also needs volunteers now. Please let us know if you can help.

Thanks,

Jim Smith
for Californians for Health Security



The California Health Security Plan

The State of California shall establish the California Health Security Plan, which shall meet the following requirements:

• All current residents of California shall be eligible to join the Plan, provided they have physically resided in the state for ten months of the previous year. In addition, the Plan shall automatically enroll and deliver membership cards to all California income tax filers who have California addresses and their dependents.

• Membership in the Plan shall require no premiums, copayments or deductibles. The Plan shall be fully funded by such general revenues and sources as the Legislature may enact.

• The Plan shall pay for the health care of members. "Health care" shall include all treatments, prescription drugs, devices, emergency care, preventive measures, rehabilitative care, longterm care, mental healthcare, dental care, vision care, women's healthcare, care for work-related injuries and other care classified as medically necessary by the California Health Security Board, as described below.

• The Plan shall implement the principle of equal care for all. The plan shall be evaluated by data on outreach, access, treatments, and outcomes; administration of the Plan shall be modified to achieve equal outreach, access, treatment, and outcome for all. Privacy of medical records and the right to have hard copies of medical records will be required of this healthcare security plan for the patients.

• The Legislature shall establish an elected and non-salaried Board of healthcare workers and Plan members composed of one board member from each Congressional district elected by the people in the same time, place and manner as the U.S. President. The Legislature shall appoint an initial Board within 60 days of certification of this initiative, and thereafter the Board shall be elected.

• The Board's classification of medically necessary care shall include at least 95 percent of all California spending on health care. The definition of such spending shall adhere to the definitions used to collect statistics on care, services, supplies, and public health activities by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or its successor agency. The Board shall be empowered to negotiate with pharmaceutical corporations for lower prescription drug prices and for all goods and services for this plan. The Board shall make an annual report to the people of California on the state of their health security.

• The Legislature shall implement the major provisions of this Plan on July 1 within one year, following the certification of the Plan its passage.


As of 10/10/2007
Cindy Varela Henderson, CWA local 9000*
Dr. Larry Rose, Former Chief Doctor CA-OSHA
Janice Rothstein, L.V.N. UC AFSCME 2299*
Nick Jones, UHW* retired staff
Charles Andrews, Health Care Researcher
C.T. Weber California State Employees Association, Region 3 Director (For Identification Purposes Only) and Peace and Freedom Party of California, North State Chair
Michael Lyon SF Gray Panthers*
Ross Mirkarimi, Supervisor San Francisco
Phuong Tran Santa Clara CNA*
Tom Ammiano, Supervisor San Francisco
Barbara Shannon SF CNA*
Allen Fitzpatrick CNA*
Mark Leno, California Assemblymen
Leland Lee, California State Senator
Eric Quezada, Mission Displacement Coalition*
Vicky Dunn, CNA*
David Campos
Valerie Tulier, Latino Steering Committee
Tenya Lafore Unite-HERE Local 2*
Crystal Stermer, Unite-HERE Local 2*
Larry Small, CWA Media Workers*
Carlos Flores, GCU-IBT Local 4 Secretary Treasurer*
Chris Daly, SF Board Of Supervisors
C.T. Weber California State Employees Association, Region 3 Director (For Identification Purposes Only) and Peace and Freedom Party of California, North State Chair
Donna Carter CNA Member* and Delegate To California Nurses Association
Steve Kessler, Alameda Labor Party
Stan Woods, ILWU Local 6*
Carolyn Scarr, Ecumenical Peace Institute
Ann Fagan Ginger, Alameda Writers Union*
Fracesca Rosa SEIU 1021 member* and Delegate To SF Labor Council
Kathy Lipscom, SEIU UHW Retired and Delegate To SF Labor Council
Bill Balderston, OEA*
Mary Prophet, CTA/NEA*
Alice Stek, MD, FACOG, AAHIVS
Cindy Sheehan, Gold Star Families*
Sanda Everette, Member CTA-NEA*
Cynthia McKinney, Former Congresswoman
June Brashares, Global Exchange*
Christy Miller
Majeid Crawford
Alan Benjamin, Organizer Newspaper, Delegate To SF Labor Council, Executive Committee SFLC
Ronald Stutz
Eric Blanc
Roland Sheppard, Retired BA Painters Local 4
Nancy Ula
Gloria LaRiva, CWA ITU*
Espanola Jackson
Marily Jackson
David Grace
Lisa Harris
Willie Radcliff, Publisher San Francisco Bayview
Thomas Lacey, Peace and Freedom Party San Francisco
John Morton, Alameda Green Party Committee
Christopher Mohammad

(reposted to Central Valley Indybay by the Fresno County Peace and Freedom Party http://www.peaceandfreedom-sjv.org)