California Speaks
Encyclopedia
California Speaks was a statewide deliberative forum on health care reform
that took place on August 11, 2007 in eight counties in California
: Humboldt
, Sacramento
, Alameda (Oakland), Fresno, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego. Nearly 3,500 people representing all segments of the population were randomly recruited to participate in this day-long discussion of health care reform
proposals that are before the California legislature.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
of California proposed comprehensive health insurance reform for California on January 9, 2007 that would lead to nearly universal health insurance
coverage in the state. The plan involved a complex set of requirements that employers provide health insurance or pay into a state insurance pool, that health care providers and insurers pay a new fee, and that all individuals be legally required to carry health insurance. The state would use the new fees to expand free or low-cost health insurance to those with low incomes, would allow higher income individuals to purchase “catastrophic” insurance, and would require insurance companies to sell insurance to any applicant (called guaranteed issue)
By mid-year, two different Democratic proposals that overlapped the Governor’s proposal had merged into Assembly Bill 8 (AB8) and were seen as the most likely health insurance expansion bill to be passed and signed by California’s governor in 2007. Another bill with substantial support in the legislature proposed a single payer system, SB840. It was similar to a bill that had passed the legislature in a previous session and been vetoed by the Governor.
Much of the organizational ideas and effort were provided by AmericaSpeaks
, a group which promotes deliberation as a community method in a variety of communities, regions and topics.
The actual format of the discussions was that participants were divided into groups of 10-12 people, with a facilitator to make sure everyone got a chance to be heard. A discussion guide was provided which explained the background of the issues.
Each table reported its ideas using wireless computers and participants voted on the proposals, using a polling keypad
. The entire group responded to the strongest themes generated from table discussions and voted on final recommendations to decision makers. Also, various local sessions across the state were in contact via interactive television simultaneously.
Results from the discussion were compiled into a report at the end of the meeting, and were given to participants, decision-makers and the media as the meeting concluded.
Health care should be affordable by all, everyone should have access, greed (profit) should not be part of the system, and wellness/prevention should be a priority. There was general support for the AB8/Governor’s range of proposals, with a number of conditions. Employer mandates were supported but most participants also wanted to assure that part-time and other employees were covered. Individual mandate
s were supported as long as there was an adequate standard for quality of care and other guarantees. Over 80% of this cross-section of Californians expressed a willingness to “share the responsibility” for paying for expanded health insurance.
Health care reform
Health care reform is a general rubric used for discussing major health policy creation or changes—for the most part, governmental policy that affects health care delivery in a given place...
that took place on August 11, 2007 in eight counties in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
: Humboldt
Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located on the far North Coast 200 miles north of San Francisco. According to 2010 Census Data, the county’s population was 134,623...
, Sacramento
Sacramento County, California
Sacramento County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Sacramento, which is also the state capital. As of 2010 the county had a population of 1,418,788....
, Alameda (Oakland), Fresno, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego. Nearly 3,500 people representing all segments of the population were randomly recruited to participate in this day-long discussion of health care reform
Health care reform
Health care reform is a general rubric used for discussing major health policy creation or changes—for the most part, governmental policy that affects health care delivery in a given place...
proposals that are before the California legislature.
Background
GovernorGovernor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
of California proposed comprehensive health insurance reform for California on January 9, 2007 that would lead to nearly universal health insurance
Health insurance
Health insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is...
coverage in the state. The plan involved a complex set of requirements that employers provide health insurance or pay into a state insurance pool, that health care providers and insurers pay a new fee, and that all individuals be legally required to carry health insurance. The state would use the new fees to expand free or low-cost health insurance to those with low incomes, would allow higher income individuals to purchase “catastrophic” insurance, and would require insurance companies to sell insurance to any applicant (called guaranteed issue)
By mid-year, two different Democratic proposals that overlapped the Governor’s proposal had merged into Assembly Bill 8 (AB8) and were seen as the most likely health insurance expansion bill to be passed and signed by California’s governor in 2007. Another bill with substantial support in the legislature proposed a single payer system, SB840. It was similar to a bill that had passed the legislature in a previous session and been vetoed by the Governor.
Much of the organizational ideas and effort were provided by AmericaSpeaks
AmericaSpeaks
AmericaSpeaks is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization whose mission is to "engage citizens in the public decisions that impact their lives." AmericaSpeaks' work is focused on trying to create opportunities for citizens to impact decisions and to encourage public officials to make...
, a group which promotes deliberation as a community method in a variety of communities, regions and topics.
The forum
California Speaks was designed as a non-partisan discussion about the major health insurance reforms in the state. Using neutral, accessible materials, a cross section of Californians learned about the different options and voted during the forum about what the state should do. The options focussed on issues concerning AB8 and, to a lesser degree, SB840. The product of the discussions will be presented to the Governor and legislative leadership to inform state legislation that is currently being negotiated in Sacramento.The actual format of the discussions was that participants were divided into groups of 10-12 people, with a facilitator to make sure everyone got a chance to be heard. A discussion guide was provided which explained the background of the issues.
Each table reported its ideas using wireless computers and participants voted on the proposals, using a polling keypad
Keypad Polling
Keypad Polling is a wireless polling technology. It can be used to enable community participation in events and to bring a focus to discussion and decision making....
. The entire group responded to the strongest themes generated from table discussions and voted on final recommendations to decision makers. Also, various local sessions across the state were in contact via interactive television simultaneously.
Results from the discussion were compiled into a report at the end of the meeting, and were given to participants, decision-makers and the media as the meeting concluded.
The results
Participants identified four key values to guide health care reform at the start of the forum:Health care should be affordable by all, everyone should have access, greed (profit) should not be part of the system, and wellness/prevention should be a priority. There was general support for the AB8/Governor’s range of proposals, with a number of conditions. Employer mandates were supported but most participants also wanted to assure that part-time and other employees were covered. Individual mandate
Individual mandate
An individual mandate is a requirement by a government that certain individual citizens purchase or otherwise obtain a good or service.In the United States, the United States Congress has enacted two individual mandates, the first was never federally enforced, while the second is not scheduled to...
s were supported as long as there was an adequate standard for quality of care and other guarantees. Over 80% of this cross-section of Californians expressed a willingness to “share the responsibility” for paying for expanded health insurance.
The impact
The results and interpretation were presented to representatives of the California Legislature and Governor on August 23, 2007. The intent of the process is that the opinions of this large (3,500 person) group of average Californians from around the state, who spent a full day discussing the issues, would inform the California health care reform debate.See also
- America Speaks
- United States National Health Care Act
- Universal health careUniversal health careUniversal health care is a term referring to organized health care systems built around the principle of universal coverage for all members of society, combining mechanisms for health financing and service provision.-History:...
External links
- http://www.californiaspeaks.org/
- http://www.calhealthreform.org/
- http://www.cahealthreformnow.org/
- California OneCareNow Campaign
- Health Care for All—California
- Video Archive of CaliforniaSpeaks (in chapters) http://www.fc-tv.com/clients/americaspeaks/webcast/
- Video Highlights (8-min) http://www.fc-tv.com/FCVideo/CaliforniaSpeaks/caSpeaks5minlowres.wmv