IOH Statement on New Field Poll: Californians Want Real, Affordable Healthcare -- Now

“That huge shift reflects what we’ve been hearing for months from people all across California –at house parties, at town hall meetings, at farmers markets and at hundreds of other community events throughout the state. Californians have been sharing their stories and concerns about healthcare, about rising costs and shrinking coverage, about the decline of job-based coverage and the growing ranks of the uninsured – and discovering that their individual stories are also the stories of a health care system that’s changing, and not for the better.

“People who work hard and play by the rules, are finding that’s no longer a guarantee that you’ll have insurance. People who do have insurance are finding it increasingly difficult to afford the deductibles and co-pays so they avoid going to the doctor. And of course, millions of Californians have no insurance at all. So it’s no surprise to us that over 2/3 of Californians now support major reform. That’s a number the Governor and the legislature must listen to.

“By expanding coverage to millions and addressing issues such as cost, insurance companies’ practices, and making sure that employers pay a fair share of costs, AB 8 addresses real issues people are worried about.

“And because it’s not real healthcare reform unless we can afford to use it, we will continue to work on making sure that healthcare is affordable under AB 8 so that people aren’t required to buy health care that costs too much to use or that doesn’t cover the healthcare and medicines we need.

“Those are big steps forward that are worth doing and that we can do this year. But the Field Poll also found that most Californians don’t think the Governor and the Legislature can do it. Now that the budget stalemate is over, IOH believes our elected officials need to meet the challenge – by stepping up and passing real healthcare reform this year. The numbers from this Field Poll tell us that’s what the people of California want, and our own experiences tell us that real reform is what we need. We can’t afford to wait any longer.”