Please consider joining a webinar tonight about how proposed legislation to create CA Medicare, SB 562, will enhance the business climate in California. Reminder: Business Outreach Webinar TONIGHT! Please remember to RSVP to join the Business Alliance for a HealthyCA tonight for their webinar training on business outreach in your area.

Small Business California is always looking for ways to drive down the cost of health insurance. To that end, we are supporting Senate Bill 538, along with the Pacific Business Group on Health[PBGH]. In the words of the fact sheet on the bill,  “the presence of monopoly power in the  California market drives up prices for employers. Unions and consumers without concurrent increases in quality and value.” “This legislation enables unions and employers to fairly contract for high-value care on behalf of employees and their families. SB 538 prohibits monopolistic practices while protecting the ability of providers groups to deliver coordinated Care.” This afternoon Lori Kammerer from Small Business California, Kristof Stemikis from PBGH and Allison Ramey from Blue Shield will be meeting with Senators Nielsen, Nguyen and Wilk to discuss this bill. See factsheet at: https://gallery.mailchimp.com/242a7d7d5374a41e90180c761/files/a06a6c13-4acf-4687-830b-3d9de63c1e89/SB_538_Fact_Sheet_3_10_17_v2.pdf

The U.S. is the only industrial nation that allows for-profit health insurance companies to manage medical payments and create narrow medical networks and deny medical claims as their avenue to wealth, a business model that creates poor health outcomes for almost everyone except the wealthy and well healed. Senators Lara and Atkins sponsored SB 562 to create CA Medicare were we can see any doctor taking new patients and be admitted to any medical facility our doctors recommend with little out of pocket or the incredibly insulting MediCal requirement we remain paupers. Terrorist victims in Boston, MA face different experiences with the medical community based on their insurance or charity care while victims Nice, France will never worry about how they'll pay their doctor. We still have time to get it right and create a dignified health insurance system that allows everyone equal access to the medical community regardless of income.