Fixing Health Care Reform

Fewer full-time jobs, fewer doctors, and soon a massive taxpayer bailout. We can do better.

Covered California says it likely will be insolvent when its one-year federal subsidy runs out. Whatever you think of the intentions or goals of health care reform, the numbers are not going in the right direction.

State law currently prohibits Covered California from tapping the state's General Fund to pay its bills.

When the subsidy runs out, will the legislature vote to give Covered California unlimited access to tax dollars that were intended to be spent on education and other priorities?

Will that mean another tax increase for education?

What happens when the temporary Prop 30 tax increases expire?

The pressure for tax increases in California is already mounting, and this at a time when our lawmakers insist we have a balanced budget, even a surplus. In fact, we have a mountain of debt, unfunded pension liabilities, and a looming financial crisis in health care.

Tax increases will only make our economy worse, leaving more people in need of government assistance with fewer people working and paying the taxes to support them.

Health care reform has resulted in fewer jobs, fewer doctors, higher costs and higher taxes. That's not the reform we were promised.

Let's start over. Let's begin with a plan to make sure people with pre-existing conditions can always buy affordable health insurance.