I guess the details come down today some time. The figure I've heard tossed around are doctors taxed at 2% and employers taxed at 4% of payroll if insurance is not provided but I don't know if that is true.. Apparently there will be no more refusal to cover anyone either - interesting times ahead for all.
Schwarzenegger unveils $12B universal health plan
East Bay Business Times - 3:00 PM PST Monday by Timothy Roberts
A $12 billion health plan aimed at covering all Californians was introduced by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday.
Under the governor's plan, employers would have to either offer their employees health insurance or they would have to pay into a state fund that would be used to assist people in buying their own insurance. At the same time, insurance companies could not reject applicants because of existing illness.
The governor's plan also would cover illegal aliens.
"I know this is controversial, but federal law requires us to treat anyone who shows up at an emergency room in need of care," Schwarzenegger said. "So, the decision for my team was do we treat them in emergency rooms at the highest cost available or do we do it right and do it efficiently?''
The plan was greeted warmly by Democrats in the legislature, whose approval would be necessary for any bill to pass.
"The governor's proposal to cover all kids in California is a prime example of the kind of 'post-partisan' attitude he spoke of in his inaugural speech," Assembly Budget Chairman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, said in a statement after the governor released his plan. "His proposal is far-sighted and mirrors what Democrats proposed in last year's budget--a concept supported by more than 80 percent of Californians."
The governor's plan may please business interests, who have generally opposed a "pay or play" approach as an unfair burden. And insurance companies may not like another provision that requires that 85 percent of premium revenues be spent on patient care, not administration.
Doctors may be pleased to learn, however, that under the governor's plan MediCal reimbursements for doctors would increase significantly.