SACRAMENTO – The Healthy California for All Commission on Monday began its work to develop a plan for advancing progress toward achieving a health care delivery system for California that provides coverage and access through a unified financing system, including, but not limited to a single-payer financing system.

“All Californians deserve a health care system that covers everyone, is high quality and affordable – and most importantly – creates a healthier California for all,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services and Commission Chair Dr. Mark Ghaly. “California can be proud of its many accomplishments related to expanded coverage and improved access to health care. Still, there is more we can do to create the accessible, affordable, equitable, high-quality and universal system that Californians deserve.”

The commission will explore and develop potential policy pathways, including single-payer, which could address gaps in coverage, improve affordability, access and quality, and assure a more equitable system for all.

Members of the commission are California and national experts who offer deep expertise in the domains of health policy and health care delivery. In addition to Secretary Ghaly, voting members include eight gubernatorial appointees and four legislative appointees. There are also five ex-officio, non-voting members.

At the meeting, commissioners reviewed the history of health reform proposals in California and took stock of recent achievements and remaining challenges under California’s existing system of fragmented health care financing.

The commission engaged in an initial discussion of the policy pathways and design considerations that merit further exploration on the path toward a unified financing system and heard public comments.

The commission will meet quarterly through January 2022. It will deliver an initial report to the governor and Legislature by July 2020 and a final report in February 2021.

The next meeting of the commission will take place April 6 in Sacramento. To learn more about and follow the work of the Healthy California for All Commission, visit Healthy California for All.