California State Senator Proposes Bills Targeting the Uninsured Adults

Although California's budget surplus is "shrinking" due to the electricity crisis, state Sen. Deborah Ortiz (D) said it would be "irresponsible" to neglect health care as she introduced a package of bills March 28 aimed at providing health coverage for half of California's uninsured, the Sacramento Bee reports. The bills are designed to cover working parents and young and single adults who are not currently eligible for government programs. The proposed legislation includes:

SB 833: Co-sponsored by state Sen. Wesley Chesbro (D), the bill would "streamline" Medi-Cal and eliminate certain barriers, including the Medi-Cal asset test.
SB 785: The measure would expand eligibility for Healthy Families, the state's CHIP program, to include parents with incomes up to 250% of the federal poverty level.
SB 534: The legislation would expand Healthy Families eligibility to childless adults earning below 200% of the federal poverty level.
SB 402: The measure would expand Healthy Families eligibility to offer coverage to 19- and 20-year-olds. Currently, only children under age 18 are eligible for the program.

The cost of Ortiz's bills has not been determined, but she said the measures would "ultimately save money." Noting that the state already spends billions on uncompensated care in emergency rooms, Ortiz said, "Every one of these individuals that we pick up (is) already accessing the system," adding, "If the state has any priorities this year, this has got to be one of the top three." The Bee reports that the Senate Budget Committee already is considering some funding increases to expand eligibility, including $56 million to cover an additional 52,000 parents and $14.2 million to cover 19- and 20-year-olds. Assembly member Keith Richman (R) also has introduced a bill (AB 32) that would "offer affordable coverage to the uninsured" (Rojas, Sacramento Bee, 3/29). This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.

California State Senator Proposes Bills Targeting the Uninsured Adults

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