1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I'm asking you to advance AB 1900 as a ballot measure so California voters can decide directly on universal health care. Recent polling shows 86 percent of Democratic voters support single-payer health care, and this issue deserves a public vote. AB 1900 would guarantee health coverage to all California residents with no premiums, deductibles, or co-pays. It would eliminate private insurance companies that deny hundreds of thousands of claims monthly while paying CEOs over $20 million annually. The Healthy California for All Commission found that California could save between $32 billion and $213 billion over ten years by cutting administrative waste and negotiating prescription drug prices as one unified buyer for nearly 40 million residents. California already funds roughly half of all health care spending through Medi-Cal, Medicare, and other public programs. CalCare would consolidate these streams into one system without changing the doctors, hospitals, or providers people use. The Legislature passed single-payer bills in 2006 and 2008, proving this can move forward. Let voters make the final decision on whether California should join other developed nations in treating health care as a public good rather than tying it to employment or income.