Monday, 05 November 2007 01:00

Senator Cox Responds to Scwharzenegger’s Health Care Proposal

Last week the Assembly held a committee hearing to hear Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposal on universal health care. Senator Dave Cox and other Senate Republican colleagues responded introducing the Senate Republican’s health care reform called the CalCare Plus- a package of 24 pieces of legislation that they say offers access, affordability and choice in healthcare without new taxes as well as reaches out to rural areas like Amador County.

In his Capitol Report Cox said, “While I applaud the Governor and his Administration for their efforts, it is not a workable solution. It raises taxes and does not address the most important issue in the healthcare debate.  And that’s access to medical care.”  Cox countered that the Senate Republican’s health care reform, “CalCare Plus, is a plan that offers more choices for patients and incentives to doctors and nurses to provide health care in California – especially for those living in rural areas.”

He said it encourages doctors and nurses to offer healthcare to the poor by increasing their reimbursement rates, while also encouraging community based clinics to go into underserved areas. And to top it off Cox adds, “CalCare Plus is not a government run health care system that will require huge tax increases, limit choice, cause rationing and create waiting lists. We can do better but we don’t need to destroy a health care system that serves many people well.”