I hope that by the time I die the vast majority of people in the United States will consider health care a fundamental human right. Strides have been made in health care reform in recent years; at least people are acknowledging there’s a problem and beginning to work towards solutions.
Senate Bill SB 840 which wold bring a single-payer universal health care system to California will either be signed or vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger. He vetoed it in 2006. I wrote a letter to the governor:
Dear Governor Schwarzeneggar:
I am writing to applaud California for passing the SB 840 which would guarantee comprehensive single-payer health coverage to every citizen of California. I am watching closely the progress of this bill as I believe it has the potential to be an excellent model for the future of health care in this country. The bill would significantly reduce bureaucratic spending, and we could cover every citizen of California — every citizen of the United States — without spending more than we currently are.
I am a citizen of Massachusetts, which recently passed extensive health care reforms, but this model does not address the concerns of citizens; it only creates the added pressure of facing penalties if we are not able to afford health care at rates that the government has deemed affordable. As someone who the Massachusetts health care reform was aimed to help, I can tell you that I am seriously considering leaving the state to live somewhere that will not penalize me if I cannot afford health care. Thanks to SB 840, I am drawn to California; I am proud of California and the possibilities for the future of this country.
When troops returning from service in Iraq come home to find that they have no health care coverage, we need to do something.
Thank you for your support of universal health care in the United States. Signing this bill is your chance to make it a reality.
Yours,
Jason _____
