State Assembly Passes Healthcare Bill

The California Assembly passed a healthcare reform bill on 12/7. Awaiting approval from the state Senate, its financing mechanisms must be put before voters on a ballot measure. If it prevails, the bill will extend health insurance to 3.6 million of the state’s 6.6 million uninsured, but also impose $2.6 billion in new taxes on employers that don’t offer coverage, $2.3 billion on hospitals, and $1.5 billion on tobacco consumers.