Dear Editor:
Legislators and/or voters in Nevada, California, Washington, Vermont, New York & Colorado are proactively addressing single-payer health care systems. Shouldn't Missouri voters be given a chance to determine the level of government involvement/support we want in our state's health care? Shouldn't we be willing to fund that level of care, rather than fund it with more debt piled on our children's shoulders? Supporters of such care should start collecting signatures to allow a vote on the issue in 2020, rather than continue to whine that the federal government should borrow more money to fund the care.
Nevada's Democrat controlled legislature passed the Nevada Care Plan but it was vetoed last month by Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval. The 4 page bill would have allowed any state resident to purchase Medicaid. Gov. Sandoval praised the concept of the bill but vetoed it because there were just to many unanswered questions about how the bill would work and how it would be funded. The original Affordable Health Care Act (Obamacare) contained 381,517 words. "Final" Obamacare regulations contain over 11 million words. Apparently Gov. Sandoval did not want another Nancy Pelosi, "we have to pass the bill to see what is in the bill" boondoggle.
California's State Senate passed a bill, Healthy California, for a single-payer plan in CA. It is now awaiting action by the State Assembly. The main problem with the bill is that it contains no way of paying for the "free" health care. If passed, the bills sponsor estimated that it would cost $400 billion annually, roughly $10,000 for every person living in California. To put that in perspective California's annual spending is currently $290 billion, which includes $107 billion for goodies paid for with federal handouts.
Single-payer supporters in the state of Washington tried to get an initiative on the ballot in 2000 but could not get enough signatures. Now a state legislator is pushing for a bill similar to the one California passed. I couldn't find any information on how she planned to fund the bill.
Information on other states will be provided in a future Opinion piece.
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