SB 1014, Kuehl
Taxation: single-payer health care coverage tax

What is SB 1014, and Why Do We Need It?

SB 1014 spells out the funding mechanism of SB 840, the single-payer plan for equal, comprehensive, low-cost healthcare for everyone in California, while controlling costs, greatly simplifying access and administration, and assuring long-term sustainibility.

It describes how federal Medicare and Medicaid/Medi-Cal funds, and revenues from employer and employee payroll taxes, state income taxes, plus other funding sources would all be pooled to pay the California's existing doctors, clinics, hospitals, and other healthcare providers.

The Lewin Group, a nationally recognized financial analysis company prepared a report whose projections are the basis for SB 1014's structure. The Lewin Group projects that providing comprehensive health care to everyone in California through a single payer mechanism would actually save the state $8 billion in one year.

CARA recognizes that that the fight to pass SB 1014, the financial nuts and bolts of single-payer healthcare financing, will be even more difficult than the fight for SB 840, the concept bill for single-payer, but we are determined to win.

Read Sheia Kuehl's press release on the Lewin Report, a 10 page executive summary of the Lewin report, or the entire document.

Read letters about SB 1014

Read letter CARA has written about SB 1014 here.

Where is SB 1014 in the legislative process?

SB 1014 originated in the Senate in 2007, and is still being heard and ammended in the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee.

It must be passed by Senate by January 31, 2008. The only Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee meetings before then are Jan 9th and Jan 23rd, 1:30 PM, in State Capital room 3191.

Votes needed from Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee members (what's my district?):

Oropeza (D-28, Chair),  Cogdill (R-14, Vice-Chair),  Wiggins (D-2),  Machado (D-5),  Alquist (D-13),  Runner (R-17),  Scott (D-21),  and Harman (R-35)

What can you do to help pass SB 1014?

Visits, letters, and phone calls are needed to Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee members:

Jenny Oropeza (Chair)  Dist. 28, Long Beach  
Dave Cogdill (Vice Chair)  Dist. 14, Fresno
Elaine Alquist  Dist. 13, San Jose
Tom Harman  Dist. 35, Costa Mesa
Michael Machado Dist. 5, Sacramento
George Runner  Dist. 17, Antelope Valley
Jack Scott Dist. 21, Pasadena
Patricia Wiggins Dist. 2, Santa Rosa

 

More information about SB 1014

See the CARA Legislative Committee tracking report on Calif bills.

Read LegInfo, the official legislative website, on SB 1014.

(Leginfo, the Official California Legislative Information website, describes Senate and Assembly bills, with texts, current status, analyses comparing the current situation with changes a bill would make, anticipated fiscal impacts, supporting and opposing arguments and organizations, and other valuable information.)

back to CARA's priority bills.

 

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