California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he will reintroduce an insurance mandate and give power to Medi-Cal to negotiate drug prices as a part of his new healthcare reforms, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Newsom says he doesn't want people to think he's declaring war on Big Pharma because he's gained a whole new appreciation that drug companies can bring into someone's life.
Newsom's father, William Newsom, passed away just last week after living with dementia for months.
“I don’t see Pharma as the enemy, I’m not saying anyone’s evil. I just don’t like paying 50% more for drugs than the rest of the free world" Newsom told the LA Times.
With only two weeks of being in office under his belt, Newsom is coming in strong with dramatic proposals to take on major healthcare issues. Along with the pricing of drugs, he plans to stabilize the Covered California insurance program by restoring a coverage mandate. Newsom is also seeking cooperation from the federal government to help install a statewide single-payer insurance system in California.
However, the number of uninsured is rising. About 5 million more people could go without health insurance by 2027, bringing the total to 35 million.
Just in California alone, more than 4 million people under 65 could be uninsured by 2023. This would bring the state's uninsured rate to nearly 13%.
Newsom believes that a part of his healthcare plan should allow Medi-Cal to cover young immigrants in the country illegally. His genius logic behind it is that otherwise these illegal aliens will until their seriously ill to get help.
“Everyone means everyone,” Newsom says.
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