Single-payer health care put on hold in California as leader calls legislation ‘woefully incomplete’

June 23--SACRAMENTO -- A proposal to bring universal, single-payer health care to California -- replacing the private insurance market with a single, government-run plan -- was abruptly put on hold late Friday afternoon.

Early this month, the state Senate voted to pass a $400 billion plan sponsored by the California Nurses Association, sending it to the Assembly. But the measure had few details -- including how the state would raise the money to pay for it.

Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon said he supported the concept of single-payer health care but called the bill "woefully incomplete."

"Even senators who voted for SB 562 noted there are potentially fatal flaws in the bill," he wrote in a statement late Friday, "including the fact it does not address many serious issues, such as financing, delivery of care, cost controls, or the realities of needed action by the Trump Administration and voters to make SB 562 a genuine piece of legislation.

"In light of this, I have decided SB 562 will remain in the Assembly Rules Committee until further notice."

The issue dominated the California Democratic Convention, with proponents -- including the nurse's union president -- promising to "primary" Democratic officials who didn't get on board.

Champions of single-payer health care say that it will save Californians money, even though their taxes would increase, as they would no longer pay premiums or deductibles and the system would eliminate insurance costs.

Still, few political insiders expected the Assembly to pass the legislation this year, given its cost and the uncertainty surrounding the Affordable Care Act, which Republicans in Congress are trying to repeal.

"I think the surprise is that he didn't kill it quietly through the suspense process," said Thad Kousser, a political science professor at UC San Diego, referring to the appropriations committee. "That's where expensive bills go to die without anyone having to take a public stand against them."

Developing story -- stay tuned for updates.

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