California Health Insurance battle

Sacramento, CA, Dec. 15 (UPI)



A new political battle is shaping up in California over the idea of requiring all state residents to have some form of health insurance.



The Los Angeles Times said Wednesday the idea received a boost recently from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who agreed with the medical lobby that 5 million uninsured Californians is too many.



Voters in November rejected a proposal that would have required nearly all employers to offer insurance for their workers, and some analysts predict a law requiring individuals to have insurance will prompt a large number of companies to drop their coverage and pocket the savings.



There were also concerns the cash-strapped state would have to provide heavy subsidies for low-income residents, and premiums would jump.



Nevertheless, the Times said the combined support of the influential medical and business lobbies has given proponents of the measure an increased level of confidence that they could push the measure through the Legislature.