Single Payer Healthcare comes to California

The following is from Assemblyman Kalra, who is submitting the bill. It's refreshing to hear from someone interested in solving public policy problems rather than climbing some slippery pole to more political power.


I’m Ash Kalra – I represent California’s 27th district in the State Assembly – and I introduced A.B. 1400, California’s single-payer health care bill (also known as CalCare) in February of this year.

First, I want to say thank you to everyone reading this email. You are a crucial piece of the movement for guaranteed health care in California, and I’ve watched all of the incredible organizing happening across the state in awe.

Second, as we prepare for CalCare’s highly anticipated return to the legislature in January, I wanted to share with you all some updates including notes from my recent CalCare Policy Tour. A more detailed recap of my trip can be found here, which I hope you’ll read and share.

In order to bolster and publicize our effort to create the best health care system possible for Californians, I wanted to learn from our neighbors in other countries and build alliances with other states and leaders in D.C.

So in late October, I decided to hit the road. I met with Canadian health administrators and elected officials, New York single-payer activists and the lead author of the NY state single-payer bill, members of Congress in D.C., and Biden's Health and Human Services (HHS) Department.

Here’s a quick snapshot:

In Canada, I met with health care providers in Deep River (a rural town in Ontario) to learn how their single-payer health system delivers care to its residents and how the system provides incentives for providers to serve rural areas of Canada.

I also visited Toronto and Quebec City where I met with academics and government officials at the provincial and federal level. It was interesting to learn how each province runs their own unique health care system and financing mechanism with financial support from the federal government.



Asm. Ash Kalra meets with Canadian health care leaders

In New York, I met with-long time New York Assemblymember Dick Gottfried, often referred to as the “Godfather” of New York’s single-payer bills, to share the history and challenges faced with passing a single-payer health care bill despite Democratic majorities.

I also met with organizers and activists from the Campaign for New York Health to hear how people are working to pass the New York Health Act (NY’s version of CalCare).

In D.C, I met with California Senator Alex Padilla, a longtime proponent of single-payer, who was eager to hear the steps being undertaken in California. I also connected with key Congressional supporters of the Medicare for All movement, including Congresswoman Katie Porter and Congressman Ro Khanna.

Then I met with representatives from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to understand the steps for states considering federal waivers to capture federal funding for the purpose of a state-run single-payer health system. The main takeaway from the meeting was the reaffirmation that state legislative action is necessary first before a state can apply for federal waivers. That means it's crucial that we focus on passing AB 1400 through the state legislature.



Asm. Ash Kalra with Congresswoman Katie Porter

I know that the information gathered and relationships built during this tour help our movement as we continue to fight to pass single-payer health care in our state.

I’m feeling more energized and motivated than ever to bring single-payer health care to all Californians, and I’m so glad to be in this fight alongside all of you.

Please spread the word about this tour by sharing this blog post outlining the trip and what’s ahead.

Thank you for reading this far, and I look forward to working with you all soon as we ramp up for January.

With determination,

Assemblymember Ash Kalra
CA-27, San Jose