Sonoma Index Tribune

Sonoma Index Tribune:

"Here in California, our local assemblyman, Joe Nation, D-Novato, has teamed with Keith Richman, R-Northridge, to author a bipartisan proposal called the Universal Health Care Act of 2005, AB 1670, that is a strong step toward addressing this vital issue.

The plan has elements that demonstrate its bipartisan roots. It would require all state residents to have health insurance, but would also make it their responsibility to pay for that coverage as much as possible. Just as automobile owners are required to have a minimum level of insurance on their vehicles, AB 1670 would require all residents of this state to have a minimum health-care plan for themselves and their dependents that has a maximum annual deductible of $5,000 per person and provides first-dollar coverage for all medically indicated preventive care.
It would require residents to submit proof of their health-care coverage with his or her annual state income tax return, unless they were covered by an employer's plan. If a person doesn't provide the proof of insurance, the state could provide it through the state 'pool' of insurance and charge the resident by retaining the cost of the premium from any tax overpaid by the resident."