On Thursday, Feb. 26--the same day the president's budget was presented to Congress--several hundred SEIU members from around the Los Angeles area rallied to support the president's vision to fix healthcare. The workers gathered outside SEIU UHW-W's Commerce office and were joined by congressional candidate Judy Chu.
"We need to be united to protect our contract at Kaiser and win healthcare for all in this country," said UHW member Nancy Stengel, Kaiser-Irvine MOB (pictured on left).
(Pictured here on right) Dory Machica and Dolly Lee, SEIU UHW members and healthcare workers at Kaiser, are embraced by CA state Board of Equalization chair and candidate for Congress for the state's 32nd District Judy Chu.
Chu appeared with SEIU members from across California at the rally at the UHW headquarters in Los Angeles, which is in the 32nd District, where she is running to succeed new Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. "It's so wonderful to see us united here today," Chu told the crowd of 350. "Together, alongside President Obama, we are a powerful force to win healthcare for all in America."
California Healthcare for America Now released a new report explaining the impact of the broken healthcare system on California's economy. The report can be downloaded by clicking here (PDF).
"Next Step: Healthcare: To Fix California's Economy, We Need To Fix Healthcare Now," details how out-of-control healthcare costs are crippling local businesses, breaking state and local budgets, and making it hard for families to afford the healthcare coverage they need. Similar reports were released in 39 other states around the country. Some statistics from the report:
- In 2008, the average premium for family coverage in California was $13,498. By 2016, that number is expected to be more than $25,000.
- As of 2007, 19 percent of all California state spending went to Medicaid and SCHIP; $35.4 billion went to spending on Medicaid alone.
- From 2000 to 2007, premiums in California increased by 95.8 percent while median yearly earnings only increased a mere 19.3 percent.
- The cost of employer-paid health coverage premiums in California increased by more than 95 percent from 2000 to 2007.
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