Health Care

California Democrats believe that health care is a right not a privilege. The CDP recognizes the health and well-being of Californians cannot continue to be based on arbitrary private and public financial decisions and therefore advocates legislation to create and implement a publicly funded (single-payer), privately delivered, fiscally tractable, affordable, comprehensive, secure, high-quality, efficient, and sustainable health care for all Californians.

To build a healthy future for all Californians, Democrats will:

• Support and implement universal comprehensive health care for all Californians, that includes medical and dental care, full reproductive health services, preventive services, prescription drugs and mental health counseling and treatment;
• Lead the nation in providing comprehensive quality health care to all our people by enacting SCHP coverage for all children in California;
• Oppose efforts to privatize Medi-Cal and Medicare;
• Until such time as all Californians are covered by publicly funded health care, we shall support a requirement that all HMOs and health insurers obtain prior approval from the state before rates can be increased.
• Expand and strengthen respite care and in-home support services including adequate background checks prior to licensure, and promote an in-home support services system;
• Ensure economic and physical access to multilingual health care services;
• Support the full funding of community clinics and health centers that serve low-income and homeless populations;
• Enforce the Patient's Bill of Rights;
• Affirm that medical decisions must be made with respect for patients' rights to privacy and freedom to have control over their lives with fully informed consent; and
• Lead the fight against diseases by supporting and expanding stem cell and other groundbreaking research.