CAHU Campaign Update!

Operation Drumbeat-a resounding success!
Sam Smith
CAHU VP Public Affairs

All across California, members of our association answered the call to initiate Operation Drumbeat messages to their assembly members regarding SB 1522 (Steinberg), the individual health insurance 5 coverage choice categories legislation. I am pleased to report the response to this call for action was nearly DOUBLE the response to our previous Operation Drumbeat!! As a result of your efforts and those of our coalition partners, SB 1522 is still waiting in the wings of the Assembly for a third reading and final vote. Many legislators are concerned about the points you have raised regarding the unintended consequences of this legislation. Not wanting to vote against a bill sponsored by Darrell Steinberg, the new Senate President Pro Tem "in waiting", it is essential that this bill not come to a floor vote. At the current time, the bill is on the calendar, just waiting on the "maybe" list as the clock is ticking on this current session which ends on August 31st. No news is good news on this one!

SB 1440 (Kuehl), the 85% medical loss ration bill, has passed the Assembly and is in the Senate awaiting concurrence on a number of industry proposed amendments. Concurrence is virtually assured and the bill will be on its way to the Governor. While we still officially oppose this measure, we are very pleased to see the important changes that have been made to this legislation. We anticipate the Governor will sign this bill.

SB 840 (Kuehl), Single Payer health insurance for California. This bill is also waiting for third reading and final passage in the Assembly. Watch for this one to come to the floor for a final vote and get sent to the Governor where it faces a certain veto. Single payer advocates are expecting to use the Governor's veto to launch a new media campaign designed to launch the next leg of their campaign for government run health care....the anticipated 2010 ballot initiative....or a sympathetic Democratic Governor!

Proposition 11....Our CAHU campaign for this essential proposition is in full swing! Today marks the last day of our Speaker Trainings across the state with today's training in Orange County! Chapters are engaged in leading the effort to reach out to their communities to enlist support for Prop 11 by contacting their local Chambers of Commerce and related business organizations. We are starting to get very positive reports from the local chapters on their successes in this endeavor. The next step in the campaign, the outreach to our general membership and their clients and friends is schedule to begin right after Labor Day with letters to members and suggested letters to clients.

I must say that I am very encouraged by the level of support and enthusiasm I am seeing from the local chapter leadership. This is exactly what we need to move our efforts forward. Whether it is our Operation Drumbeat efforts or our "Operation Outreach" efforts for Prop 11, we cannot succeed without this support.

Thank you to the members and the local chapter leaders that have stepped up and answered the call to action! We can succeed, we must succeed! California is depending on us!