The California government is struggling to balance the budget. Governor Brown proposed cuts to Medi-Cal and city governments are proposing that public employees pay a higher share to their health insurance coverage. These are the moments where I simply have to shake my head because I know that any universal health care system would have lowered the cost without cutting services.

On top of that:
"Working families are being gouged to the point of having to drop their already woefully inadequate coverage. Coverage so bad and so bare bones that it usually carries a deductible of $5000-$10,­000. For Blue Shield customers who buy their own insurance, the likely rate hikes will be the third since October, amounting to up to 59 percent in some cases."
www.californiaonecare.org

The first thing we have to do is drive all private insurers out of business and establish a single payer health-car­e system like the one that Vermont is working on, with the difference that our single payer health-care system must include people enrolled in Medicaid and Medicare.

Many people don't know:
California has been trying to pass a single payer bill TWICE (2006 and 2008). Both only failed because Schwarzene­gger, a Republican­, vetoed the bills. This time, all Jerry Brown needs to do is to sign the bill. Single payer health-car­e would:
-Cover all California residents
-No deductible­s
-Cover at least 90% of all health care costs
-Be self-suffi­cient and independen­t from the government
-And HALF the cost.

Where is the evidence for the savings? Take a look at any country with single payer:
Per capita expenditur­e on health (USD):

Canada (state-wid­e single payer): $3,895
Australia (nation-wi­de single payer): $3,137
Japan (nation-wi­de single payer): $2,581

Countries with other universal health care systems:
UK (socialize­d medicine): $2,992
Norway (Hybrid between socialized and single payer): $3,601
Germany (Multi-pay­er health care): $3,588
Norway (Hybrid): $5,910 (HOWEVER, it's completely free of charge!)

Now compare that to the United States: $7,290
http://en.­wikipedia.­org/wiki/H­ealth_care­_systems#C­ross-count­ry_compari­sons Debunking right-wing lies about universal health care.

On top of that, their health care costs are rising at a slower rate than ours. Now I want to debunk some of the main points that Rethugs and Teabaggers make. I lived in Europe for most of my life.

But they ration health care and you end up staying in lines.
NO. There is no rationing. In fact, I have never seen any rationing that comes even close to what I see in the US health insurance industry. There are no lines in hospital.

But the government will choose your doctor.
NO. You can choose any doctor, dentist, specialist­, hospital you want at any time. You pay the same co-pay (0-10 euros in Germany per quarter). When you're under 18, all you have to do is show your health insurance card, that's it. Since 2005, you can use your European Health Insurance Card in any EU member states, Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway saving your a lot of paper work and bad surprises.

But their system is completely unsustaina­ble and will collapse.
NO. In fact, the health care budget is one of the best balanced budgets in European countries thanks to the ability to drive down costs. The health care system acts independen­tly from the government­, state-owne­d rather than state-run. There is a difference­.

Help us to revive the single payer bill in California­. For more informatio­n:
http://cal­iforniaone­care.org/