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Lift your voice for a moral health care policy - join statewide vigils October 17-19 at Governor's offices
Date: October 12, 2007

Before the end of this week, perhaps today, the Governor will veto AB 8 (Nunez/Perata) that sought to provide health insurance coverage to several million lower-wage workers in California.

The Governor has pledged to provide 'real' health care reform, but for the next few weeks it will remain only a proposal (200 pages) that is currently without a legislative sponsor.

The Governor's proposal is highly flawed from our perspective, since it protects insurance company profits by imposing largely unfunded and unsubsidized mandates that everyone must have health insurance, no exceptions. It places the burden of health care entirely upon the individual and does not remotely consider the issue of health as a human right.

The basic health care 'coverage' will lower standards of care from those in current law and will require those not covered by an employer or in some other way to take up of insurance that has $5000 in deductibles and will allow charges of $7500 for individuals and $10,000 for families in out-of-pocket expenses. This means you will have to have insurance whether or not it covers your needs and whether or not you can afford it - or even afford to use it. If you do not have insurance, you will be penalized. Most families, if they had $15,000, would simply purchase a far less costly Blue Shield or Kaiser policy and be done with it, but that option may dry up, too.

This expensive policy standard opens a Pandora's box since employers will have an incentive to contribute to the pool from which this high-cost policy will come. Their contribution would be vastly reduced. They could save at least 7 percent in employee health costs by shifting from good policies they offer now to the pool policy. Thus the 'shared responsibility' the Governor touts will lie almost entirely on individuals and families, not on insurance corporations or employers.

The cruelty and callousness of the Governor's plan cannot be overstated.

However, at this time, only SB 840, the single-payer bill (Kuehl) is actually before the legislature as a two-year effort that has already passed the Senate and will move through the Assembly during 2008. At this time, we in the faith community have an important role to keep the values we have long supported still alive. California Church IMPACT has endorsed only SB 840 as meeting the critical moral tests of universality, affordability, and genuine access to health care for everyone.

We have been invited to press our issues along with AB 8 supporters through participation in vigils at the Governor's offices around the state. Although we have serious reservations about some aspects of AB 8, it is no longer an issue. While many of our allies would like to emphasize this as an important policy framework, our message can be simply re-stating our long-held moral standards. Therefore, we believe we could have a significant presence joining labor folks and consumer groups in the vigils to keep our voices present for our faith=grounded values.

If you would like to join one of the vigils, they will be held for 48 hours between noon Wednesday, October 17 and noon Friday, October 19. You do NOT have to spend the entire time or even be present overnight unless you so choose! If you do wish to be present for long periods, please bring warm jackets, blankets, tents, sleeping bags, flashlights, candles, and any commemorative items such as photos of loved ones or friends whose health care has been denied due to lack of any or adequate insurance. If you have a story to tell, there will be opportunities to be heard.

The Governor's office locations are:

Sacramento
State Capitol
North Steps at 11th and L streets
Sacramento 94814

Fresno
2550 Mariposa Mall
Fresno 93721

San Diego
1350 Front Street
San Diego 92101

Los Angeles
300 South Spring Street
LA 90013

San Francisco
455 Golden Gate Avenue
SF 94102

Riverside
3737 Main Street
Riverside 92501

Our collective policy message, regardless of our legislative point of view is:
If health care is not affordable, it is not real reform.

Our moral messages may be added to this policy statement. We are but one people; health care is part of basic human rights. We are our brothers' and sisters' keepers, and we share in their well being. We are directed to care for one another and to include all of God's children in the benefits of our society.

If you are moved to join one of the vigils in your area, please do so. If you are moved to speak on behalf of all people and their right to a health care that is affordable, comprehensive,and that can be used by those who have it, please also do so.

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