Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

I believe the Supreme Court got it right in their decision to uphold Obama Care. I supported the Act before it was passed by Congress, not because it was perfect, but it at least accomplished some things that needed to be done:

1. It allowed people with pre-existing conditions to buy health insurance.
2. It allowed adult children to stay on their parents' plan longer.
3. It guaranteed that insurance companies use at least 80% of premiums on patient benefits.
4. It eliminates the cap on maximum benefits an insurance company is required to pay.
5. It eliminates health insurance discrimination against women.
6. It lowers seniors' prescription drug costs.
7. It provides security to hard-working middle-class workers that they will have health care insurance.
8. It will cut Federal costs by $84 Billion according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.

Obama Care allows States the option for a Single Payer System which means Medicare for everyone in the State. Although California is busy instituting the Insurance Exchanges right now and single payer is something for the future, I believe eliminating insurance companies excessive profits in the health care system can only be accomplished by going to a Single Payer System. I support Medicare for people of all ages.

We do not need to go backwards and rehash the old political fight. We need to get to work fixing the law's problems and adding provisions to keep health care costs down, rather than starting all over from scratch.

Some good things have come out of OBAMA CARE such as eliminating insurance company discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, maximum limits on healthcare coverage, and a huge increase in the number of people with health insurance. But the funding for OBAMA CARE is unpopular and there are ways the program can be improved. I prefer MEDICARE for all, but the Nation is not ready for it. I propose that States be allowed to opt-in to universal Medicare. California is ready to do so and would be an excellent experiment to see how well it works; other States will follow if California and any other States wishing to opt-in are successful. Employers, who are required to furnish employees with expensive medical coverage should embrace the program as the insurance coverage will no longer be funded directly by employers but will be funded through a withholding tax on income.

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