Friday, 02 November 2007 01:49

Governor's Health Care Plan Hits Bipartisan Resistance

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's universal health care plan finally received a hearing in the Legislature on Wednesday – 10 months after he unveiled it amid much pomp – and was greeted with bipartisan skepticism.

According to the Sacramento Bee, the six-hour hearing reaffirmed that both Democrats and Republicans remain opposed to major provisions of the plan. Panel members at the hearing disagreed with the administration about how to pay for the $14 billion plan and provide coverage for 6.7 million uninsured Californians. The Republican governor's proposal – which he outlined in January but put into legislative language only last month – would require both employers and employees to contribute to health care coverage. Democrats oppose the requirement on individuals and want employers to pay a bigger share than Schwarzenegger proposes. Republican lawmakers, meanwhile, favor a more incremental, market-based approach. They also warn the courts could overturn a mandate on employers.  A Sacramento Bee story