Strong Opposition Stops Single-Payer Health Care Bill

A press release from California Chamber of Commerce

Three California Chamber of Commerce job killer bills, including one that would have raised taxes by more than $160 billion annually to fund a single-payer health care system, were stopped in the state Legislature yesterday and are likely dead for the year.

In a statement released yesterday, the CalChamber expressed relief that the single-payer health care proposal, AB 1400 (Kalra; D-San Jose), failed to pass before a key legislative deadline, but warned the proposal will likely resurface in the future.

“We stand ready—alongside a large, diverse and growing coalition—to oppose proposals like AB 1400 that will levy huge taxes on Californians and disrupt the health care that 40 million residents rely on,” the CalChamber said.

According to Protect California Health Care, a coalition of doctors, nurses, hospitals, employers and others, AB 1400 would have dismantled the state’s current health care system and replaced it with an untested new system built on a shaky financing scheme that would have cost California taxpayers at least $160 billion a year in higher taxes and increased the cost of nearly every good and service offered in the state.

“Californians are already facing higher inflation and taxes while struggling with the many difficulties and hardships that the pandemic has caused. They should have the right to choose the coverage they want and deserve a stable health care system they can always rely on,” the coalition stated.