October 7, 2023 (info@healthyca.org)
We Did It!
Today is a momentous day in the fight for transformational healthcare reform. Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed SB 770, the universal care bill that Healthy California Now sponsored to put California on the path toward single-payer health care.
Our bill will advance the work of Gov. Newsom’s Healthy California For All Commission, which found that transitioning to a healthcare system envisioned by SB 770 would avert 4,000 deaths per year, and save Californians $158 billion per year in healthcare spending by 2031.
To put the commission’s recommendations into action, SB 770 directs California’s Secretary of Health and Human Services to pursue discussions with federal authorities regarding the potential terms of waivers necessary for California to secure its full share of federal healthcare funds for a better healthcare system that insures everyone. The agency will be required to:
- Present a detailed draft report for legislative review and public comment by June 1, 2025, and
- Publish a final plan by November 1, 2025 so that it could move forward with formal federal waiver applications in early 2026.
Getting SB 770 passed into law is a huge achievement for our movement, but there is much work still to be done. We’re grateful to Gov. Newsom for signing the bill, and we’re excited to work with his administration and the legislature to implement it through the collaborative path it establishes.
We are also grateful for the collective efforts of SB 770 champions Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), Senator Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) as well as Healthy California Now’s broad coalition of member organizations and the organizations which supported SB 770 all of whom worked so hard to get our bill across the finish line.
This is such an exciting time for our movement. Join our effort by becoming a coalition member! Visit healthyca.org/join to join!
Be sure to email jessica@healthyca.org to attend our next advocates table on October 25, 2023.
