National Nurses United

NewsBriefs CNA/NNOC HEADS OFF BADLY FLAWED HEALTHCARE REFORM BILL n late january, CNA/NNOC staged a major political upset in California by leading a coalition of unions, patients, and consumer advocacy groups in overwhelmingly defeating a healthcare reform bill that would have jeopardized the livelihood of working families and undermined the movement for true universal healthcare for decades to come. Because the legislation, ABX1 1, was being touted as a model for healthcare reform in other states, its failure signified a major victory for advocates of eliminating insurance companies and instead establishing a national, singlepayer-style system – similar to providing better Medicare for all. SB 840 in California and HR 676 nationally would create such a system. "ABX1 1 was rejected not because Californians and the Legislature like the status quo or do not yearn for fixing our broken healthcare system," said Rose Ann DeMoro, executive director of CNA/NNOC. "The bill collapsed because it was fundamentally flawed on its merits on access, quality, and cost." Authored by California Assembly Speaker Sen. Fabian Nuñez and heavily backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, ABX1 1 purported to expand insurance coverage for millions of Californians, but in a way that shifted the most risk onto individual consumers while guaranteeing profits and customers for insurance corporations. Modeled after a now-foundering Massachusetts plan, the bill would have forced all Californians to buy health insurance or face penalties such as wage garnishment or property liens. Lowerincome people would have been eligible to buy insurance through a subsidized state pool to which employers who did not already provide insurance would contribute a small percentage, but millions of middle-class families who earned too much to qualify for help but already could not afford market-rate policies would have had to shell out thousands of dollars for coverage that likely would have done them little good. The bill established no caps on premiums, deductibles, copays, prescription drugs costs, and other out-of-pocket expenses that patients would pay. It also did nothing to prohibit insurance companies from denying their I Some of the most moving speeches at the hearing were given by Nataline Sarkisyan's mother, father, and brother. "If this bill passes, the insurance companies will have more power to control us," said Hilda Sarkisyan. "They cannot be behind the wheel." In response to bill supporters who suggested that voting against the bill meant dooming more uninsured people to death, Sarkisyan's brother Bedig pointed out, Hilda Sarkisyan, whose daughter Nataline died after "People who are insured are dying being denied a liver transplant, explains to reporters why every day also. My sister would not her family opposed the Nuñez bill. have been helped by this bill." Cheryl Scott, an RN from Sacramento, policyholders needed care, an increasingly common practice as evidenced by the recent told her story about how her 57-year-old husdeath of Nataline Sarkisyan, a 17-year-old Los band, Bob, died from an aggressive brain Angeles girl who was twice denied tumor after both his and her insurers refused a liver transplant by her insurer, to give him conventional treatment because they deemed him too "old" and not a good CIGNA. Despite these serious flaws, investment of their resources. Tammie Hotchkiss, an uninsured school Nuñez and other allies unwilling to challenge the insurance indus- employee, described how being forced to buy try's grip over healthcare attempted to steam- insurance under ABX1 1 would have bankroll the measure through the Legislature. rupted her family's finances. After fixed Though CNA/NNOC faced an uphill political expenses, the Hotchkiss family only has battle, it took on the task of educating and warn- $200 per month left for food, clothing, and ing the public about the dangers of ABX1 1. other basics. But if ABX1 1 passed, she would Soon, other influential unions, such as the Cal- have been forced to buy insurance through ifornia School Employees Association, Team- her husband's employer at $400 per month sters, and United Food and Commercial or seek insurance on the individual market. Workers, joined CNA/NNOC in opposing the With an annual income of $42,000, the bill after realizing that the measure could Hotchkiss family did not qualify for state prompt employers to cut healthcare benefits by subsidies or tax credits to help pay for insursimply paying the low employer contribution ance. "I don't know how you do math up here and dumping its employees into the state pool. on the Capitol, but where I come from, you The fight culminated at a Jan. 23 hearing of subtract 400 from 200, and you get a negathe Senate Health Committee and that body's tive number," said Hotchkiss. Despite heavy lobbying by Nuñez and his critical Jan. 28 vote on whether the bill could progress. At the hearing, the state legislative an- supporters after the hearing, committee alysts seriously questioned whether the bill was members on Jan. 28 voted down the bill 7-1. financially sustainable at a time when Cali- DeMoro praised the committee members for fornia is facing a $38 billion deficit. CNA/ their "courageous, principled stand" and NNOC presented numerous registered nurs- pledged that CNA/NNOC would continue to es, patients, and community members to tes- work with the Legislature to win genuine, tify against the bill and explain why giving more comprehensive single-payer reform that covbusiness to insurance companies would not ers everyone equally with the same high help them access more or better healthcare. standard of care. —staff report CALIFORNIA 6 REGISTERED NURSE W W W. C A L N U R S E S . O R G JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2008

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