SACRAMENTO – Today, Assembly Republicans called for an independent analysis of the cost and potential impacts of Democrats’ proposed takeover of California’s health care system. In a letter to Assembly Rules Committee Chair Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova), Republicans called for the Legislative Analyst Office to conduct a Citizen Cost Impact Analysis of AB 1400 to determine the true expense of the proposal and the impact it will have on California’s budget, workers, health care delivery system and patients.
“When people think of government-run health care, they are rightfully concerned about long wait times, rationed care and incompetence,” said Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron. “We need this analysis to tell us how turning our health coverage over to an unaccountable bureaucracy will impact patient care and Californians’ ability to see a doctor.”
“AB 1400 is a half-baked piece of legislation that will likely cost hundreds of billions of dollars and eliminate private health insurance and seniors’ Medicare,” said Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo). “It is irresponsible to even consider this radical piece of legislation without first having an independent analysis conducted on the bill’s impacts, including how single-payer will be paid for, what the impact will be on the employment of health care workers, and whether California will have to ration or delay care in order to contain costs.”
Costs for previous single-payer proposals were estimated at $400 billion per year (significantly more than the entire state budget), however there has been no impartial analysis of AB 1400’s price tag. A companion measure, ACA 11, is projected to increase taxes by more than $160 billion per year. It also allows the Legislature to raise taxes further with a simple majority vote, eliminating Prop. 13’s two-thirds vote requirement and calling into question Democrats’ ability to pay for their proposal. Additionally, ACA 11 skirts education funding requirements that were approved by voters in Prop. 98.
Asm. Cunningham and Assemblyman Heath Flora (R-Ripon) asked Rules Chairman Cooley to submit an official request to the LAO for an independent analysis last week in Rules Committee. Chairman Cooley, however, stated that a request for a Citizen Cost Impact Analysis must be done in writing.
The full letter requesting the cost analysis is available here.
Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron, R-Escondido, represents California’s 75th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Bonsall, Escondido, Fallbrook, Hidden Meadows, Rainbow, San Marcos, Temecula, Valley Center and Vista.
Assemblyman Vince Fong represents the 34thAssembly District, encompassing most of Kern County including the communities of Bakersfield, Bear Valley Springs, China Lake, Frazier Park, Golden Hills, Inyokern, Lebec, Oildale, Ridgecrest, Taft, and Tehachapi.
