California Budget Project

March 1, 2007

In January, the Governor outlined a wide-ranging proposal that aims to cover nearly all of the state's uninsured. The proposal would require individuals to carry a minimum level of health coverage; expand public health insurance programs; subsidize coverage for certain low-income Californians; and impose fees on employers that do not offer their workers health coverage, as well as on hospitals and physicians.

While the Governor's proposal provides a broad framework, many details of his proposal remain unknown. A new California Budget Project Budget Brief, "Governor's Health Proposal Raises a Number of Questions," outlines key questions raised by the Governor's health coverage plan, including:

- Does the proposal provide Californians with access to comprehensive, affordable health coverage?

- Are the costs of expanding health coverage appropriately allocated among individuals, employers, health care providers, and the public sector?

- Does the plan build on or move away from the current job-based system of health coverage? Does the plan rely too much or too little on job-based health coverage?

This Budget Brief is available at www.cbp.org.