Prime Time Club is a monthly gathering featuring lunch and interesting guest speakers for congregants and guests 65 (or getting there) and older

Medicare For All - It Can Start in California!

Members of the Bay Area Physicians for National Health Program will lead a presentation and discussion on the status of current California and Congressional legislative proposals, SB 562, HR 676 and S 1804.

Bill Shore, MD, will moderate the program. He is UCSF Emeritus Professor of Family and Community Medicine. Bill is a long time member and past president of Congregation Sherith Israel. He has been an active member of the Sherith Israel Social Action committee and a proponent of universal health care coverage. He has been an active member of Physicians for a National Health Program for 15 years.

PNHP steering committee members who will comprise the  panel and discussion include the following:
Hank Abrons, MD, MPH and Tom Koren, PT

Background and details
Physicians for a National Health Program (PHNP) has been a long time advocate for providing health care for all based on the belief that health care is a human right. Despite recent changes in our health care system, the U.S. health expenditures continue to account for more than 18% of the Gross Domestic Product. This is substantially more than other nations while our health outcomes are far below those of other industrialized countries. The single payer Medicare for all proposals provide improved cost-effective mechanisms to increase access to care and expand benefits.  
Two critical aspects are:  1) private for-profit insurance companies will no longer participate in the health care system to cover medically necessary care, and 2) Employers will no longer pay for insurance specifically for their own employees unless there is a collective bargaining agreement in place.

California SB 562 , the Healthy California Act, passed the state Senate in 2017. It would create the Healthy California program to provide comprehensive coverage and cost control system all residents of the state. The bill would provide that the program cover a wide range of medical benefits and other services and would incorporate the health care benefits, standards, and payments of federal and state programs. SB 562 is currently stalled in the California Assembly.

H. 676, Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act, was first introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives in 2011. It has been reintroduced in every session of the House to date. The bill establishes a broad program to provide all U.S. residents with comprehensive medically necessary care. The bill has been referred to Congressional subcommittees.
S 1804, Medicare for All Act of 2017, was introduced in the U.S. Senate in September, 2017. The proposal effectively mirrors the goals and substance of HR 676.   The bill has been sent to the Senate Committee on Finance.
 
For all these proposals, money from individuals, employers, and government programs would go into one non-profit public trust fund. All appropriate payments would be made from this fund – thus a single payer system like straight Medicare is today.