Involvement of Interest Groups

A significant number of interest groups made their opinions about SB840 known, both for and against the bill and its numerous elements. Healthcare for All, California (n.d.) reported that as of July, 2006, more than 457 organizations, both professional and private-sector groups, had endorsed SB 840. Some of the notable interest groups included the American Civil Liberties Union, various labor unions, and no fewer than 15 municipal governments (Healthcare for All, California, n.d.). Gallagher (2006) suggested that the sheer number of interest groups backing SB 840, as well as the reputation of many of the groups, acted as a persuasive element in the passage of the bill into legislation. Many of the supporting groups had such a large membership that they could reach out not only to large numbers of people, but also to diverse demographic groups. Many people, with the exception of the extremely wealthy, have experienced difficulty with the existing system, and so the appeal of the SB 840 bill was evident and immediate. As one supporter of the bill indicated, many people are just one illness away from total personal bankruptcy (Arnquist, n.d.).

Role of Media, Public Opinion, and Democracy 

As was mentioned above, the role that public opinion played cannot be emphasized enough as one of the reasons for the bill’s passage into law. As Gallagher (2006) reported, Californians in support of the bill found creative ways to express their feelings publicly. One community planned a rally a day for a year in order to draw attention to the problems of health insurance coverage and quality care, thereby attracting greater attention to the bill and its articulated points about remediation of such problems (Gallagher, 2006). Media coverage of these events clearly served to keep the bill in the public eye, a spot which few pieces of legislation enjoy. Evolving mediums, such as blogs, also became central to the dissemination of information about the bill and expanding its base of support. Blogs not only detailed the contents of the bill, making it understandable to a public who accesses its news through electronic media, but also served to circulate personal stories about how people had been affected negatively by the privatized system in California, and how they expected the change to a single-payer system to improve the quality of their care.

Positive and Negative Impacts on the Nation’s Health 

While the future of this bill in California remains unclear, locked as it is in debate between a supportive legislature and an non-supportive governor, other states have already begun looking to California as a potential role model in the rehabilitation of health insurance and healthcare systems (Blue Ribbon Commission, 2006). SB 840 can become a template for other states, or perhaps, for a federal plan that can address not only the problem of health care and provision itself, but also the underlying variables that give rise to the problem. If all people are insured, it is likely that the burden on the healthcare system will be reduced, as problems will be prevented or addressed earlier. Numerous other proposals for insurance overhaul have failed; it does not seem unreasonable to try a new approach.

References

Arnquist, S. (n.d.). One a day: Morro Bay rally kicks off health care drive. Backers plan a rally a  day for the next year across the state to build support for legislation. The Tribune. Retrieved on February 26, 2007 from http://www.calchamber.com/Chamber_in_the_news/ 081306_SB840_LSOT2.htm.

Blue Ribbon Commission on Healthcare Costs and Access. (2006). Retrieved on February 26, 2007 fromhttp://www1.leg.wa.gov/documents/joint/HCCA/FinalproposalWeb.pdf.

Gallagher, T. (2006, September 13). Universal health insurance and the race for governor of  California. Retrieved on February 26, 2007 fromhttp://www.commondreams.org/views06/0913-30.htm

Healthcare for All, California. (n.d.). About SB 840: California Health Insurance Reliability Act. Retrieved on February 26, 2007 fromhttp://www.healthcareforall.org/sb840.html.

Kuehl, S. (2005, February 23). Fact sheet: SB 840. Retrieved on February 26, 2007 from http://www.healthcareforall.org/factsheet.pdf.