It is estimated that more than 3.2 million Californians do not have health insurance, and millions more are delayed in getting coverage or unable to access needed health care services, including drugs, due to cost. has been done. That number has increased further in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, as many workers have lost employer-based insurance or are unable to afford health care costs.
This dire situation affects not just those without insurance or adequate resources, but also those of us who must contend with disease and suffering, negative impacts on our workforce and communities, and the ever-increasing cost of solving the problem. It also affects society as a whole. ” The Problem. (Even those with insurance are painfully familiar with increasing deductibles, co-pays, and routine denials of treatment by insurance companies.)
In recent years, advocates and lawmakers have pointed to a single-payer health care system as a solution. But what exactly is it?
The goal of single-payer health care is to provide universal, guaranteed health care to everyone.Based on the ideal that healthcare is a human right – Recognition that public health and well-being are moral obligations in a humane society.
Single-payer health insurance provides equal coverage for all residents. The cost of the service is paid for and supervised by the government or public agency through federal funds and taxes. This is sometimes called “Medicare for All.”
Single-payer benefits students, schools, and workers
Erika Feresten (left) and CTA members Sherry Aake and Mark Norberg are members of the Single Payer Educators Group. They support CalCare, a bill that would create a single-payer health insurance system for Californians.
In recent years, educators and union members, including CTA members, have become vocal supporters of single-payer health care. Sherry Arke, a member of the Santa Monica-Malibu Classroom Teachers Association, is part of Educators for Single Payers, a group of California educators who meet regularly on the topic.
“A growing number of educators across California are strongly supporting and organizing for single-payer health care because of how the inequities and rising costs of our current system affect our schools, students, and members. Because we're seeing firsthand the impact it's having,” Ehrke said.
These effects are harmful, she says.
“Escalating insurance premiums are siphoning billions of dollars in public education dollars out of schools solely for the benefit of insurance companies. Our bargaining teams can't devote that time to other education-related issues, and single-payer will never be as comprehensive, consistent, or cost-effective. We spend extraordinary time and resources negotiating for medical care that is not available to us. And despite the great work of our negotiation teams, members continue to experience denials, deductibles, copays, network limitations, coverage gaps, And we’re dealing with surprising charges.”
Single-payer educators and other advocates have used recent research and research to identify several key reasons why a single-payer health care system would benefit public education and workers. Masu. among them:
- Students who receive consistent health care have better test scores, attendance, concentration, graduation rates, social-emotional well-being, and long-term academic outcomes.
- Single-payer implementation could save California schools more than $5 billion and cut district health care costs by more than half.
- The savings from single-payer policies allow school districts to invest in smaller class sizes, improved pay, increased staffing, mental health supports, facilities, student resources, and more.
- Single-payer would take health care off the negotiating table and free negotiating teams to focus on other important issues in education.
- Union-negotiated health benefits are never more comprehensive, consistent, or cost-effective than single payer.
CTA member Magret Nunes supports single-payer health insurance.
CTA members Margie Kee Bradley and Chris Stockton;
cover everyone
Universal and guaranteed health care for all is consistent with a fair and socially just society. It also makes sense for single-payer educators.
“With a single-payer system, every Californian would have access to comprehensive health care, from cradle to grave, from the health care provider of their choice. It's expanded to include medical care, home health care, prescriptions and medical equipment,' all at a fraction of what states, local governments and individuals currently spend,” Ehrke said. .
“That’s why single-payer educators believe so strongly that health justice is a public education issue worth fighting for.”
CTA State Legislature Single Payer Forum, March 2023. Left to right: Sherry Aake, Ever Flores, Anthony Arinwine, Radha Bala, Tina Fredericks, Mari Lopez (CNA), Mark Norberg, and Emily Rogers.
