https://mailchi.mp/de5aeb581214/the-weekly-gist-october-13-2023?e=d1e747d2d8

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill directing the state’s Health and Human Services Agency to work with the federal government to create a waiver allowing Medicare and Medicaid funding to be reallocated toward a universal health insurance system for its residents. 

The established timeline sets California on track to submit its final waiver for federal approval in 2026. The law does not specify whether universal coverage would be via a single-payer system, which is what Newsom favored in 2018. The California Nurses Association opposed the bill on the grounds that it does not commit to a single-payer outcome, while the California Association of Health Plans protested against its threat to end private coverage in the state.

The Gist: This is California’s 10th attempt at universal care, with all previous attempts having ended in failure because, despite both popular and political support in the state, there has not been consensus on how to pay for it. 

This most recent bill only passed because it was separated from a funding bill, since shelved, addressing the over $300B in tax revenue needed to pay for it. This process-first approach may be seen as a calculated appeasement of the Democratic Party’s left wing, as Governor Newsom clearly holds aspirations for higher office—but so far, 

healthcare has not ranked among the top issues for the current roster of candidates targeting the White House in 2024.