Greetings,

Cruelty is the best word to describe our for-profit health insurance system and the Republicans’ federal budget reconciliation bill known as the One Big Beautiful Bill or THE BILL.

CalCare calls out the greediness and deceit of health insurance companies and dismisses them. The California Nurses Association is preparing for the CA 2026 legislative session by organizing volunteer district team leaders who will host legislative visits this summer with freshman legislators to educate them about CalCare and ask for their support. Sign up to be a district leader HERE.

If THE BILL passes, millions of people who rely on Medicaid (Medi-Cal in CA), Medicare, the Affordable Care Act (Covered California) and on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (CalFresh in CA) will lose essential services. Cuts to health care and food are being used to provide tax cuts for the rich and fund billions for immigration and border enforcement. 

We will all be affected if THE BILL passes. Even if you have commercial health insurance through your employer, wait times in emergency departments will increase. When people lose coverage through Medicaid or the ACA and don’t have access to preventive care, they go to emergency departments when in a medical or psychiatric crisis. 

We provide Actions to stand up against THE BILL, Information about THE BILL and CA’s Budget. We also provide Inspiration from legislative reform in Oregon, a rally in San Francisco and a play in Santa Monica. The HC4US Radio Show is currently on hiatus but you can find recordings of past shows HERE.

STOP THE BILL, $5.5 Trillion Billionaire Tax Scam

Send a message to Congress now and demand they reject the $5.5 trillion Billionaire Tax Scam and protect Medicaid, SNAP, and working families. Stop the “massive transfer of wealth from working-class Americans to the wealthiest.”

Pass Medicare for All Now!

Tell Congress to support the Medicare for All Act of 2025 and ensure that every person is guaranteed quality health care regardless of their ability to pay.

Phone Bank to Tell Republicans in Congress

Hands Off Our Health Care!

Participants will connect constituents directly to the offices of Senators Thom Tillis (NC), Josh Hawley (MO), and Dan Sullivan (AK) — urging them to vote no on Trump’s cruel healthcare cuts.

Watch the video from the California Center for Budget and Policy.

The Senate is planning to vote on their version of the  budget reconciliation bill (also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill) by Friday June 27. Then THE BILL goes back to the House, which would vote on it next week with the goal of sending it to Trump by July 4.

The Senate version of THE BILL is worse than the original House version, with even deeper cuts to Medicaid (Medi-Cal). “No state has more to lose than California, whose Medicaid program, called Medi-Cal, covers nearly 15 million residents with low incomes and disabilities,” according to KFF Health News. THE BILL:

• expands the work requirement for Medi-Cal to parents of teens

• places hundreds of rural hospitals at risk for reducing services or closing including 28 hospitals in CA

• adds more restrictions on state provider taxes that help finance Medi-Cal

• reduces food assistance

On June 24, Governor Newsom and the state legislature reached a budget deal that is planned to take effect on July 1. However this deal is contingent on the legislature agreeing to Newsom’s proposal to alter CA’s environmental impact protections on building, with the governor’s goal of making it easier and faster to build more affordable housing. 

Other compromise over the budget include changes to Medi-Cal funding for undocumented immigrants:

• Inability to enroll as of January 1

• Ages 19 – 59 to pay $30 in monthly premiums starting July 2027 

• 3 months to reapply if coverage lapses 

• cut full dental coverage for adults as of July 2026.

For all Medi-Cal enrollees in order to receive coverage, their assets would be limited to $130,000 for individuals and $195,00 for couples. 

On June 9, the governor of Oregon signed into law SB 951, sponsored by Ben Bowman, House Majority Leader. SB 951 restricts organizations like Optum (a subsidiary of United HealthGroup) from interfering with physicians’ decisions regarding patient care. For example, SB 951 restricts a corporation from controlling how much time doctors spend with patients and the medical tests and procedures that they recommend. Oregon now has the strongest regulations on private and corporate control of medical practices in the nation.

The passage of SB 951 was convoluted and challenging and “So much evil had to happen for this bill to pass,” said anesthesiologist Marco Fernandez in this article by The American Prospect.

On May 31, 2025 groups throughout the county who advocate for single-payer  hosted a variety of events to publicize the movement. The Day of Action was organized by National Single Payer. Watch this video from a rally in San Francisco.

0:44 Ana Malinow, MD  – go on the offensive, put SP on the nation’s agenda

1:36 Mark Smith, VA occupational therapist & union leader – merits of the VA

6:20 Harry Breaux, Senior & Disability Action – reject cuts to Medicaid 

7:02 Corinne Frugoni, MD – Medicare Advantage steals 

8:52 Kathleen Healey, MD – imagine life without a for-profit system

11:21 Ed Kinchley, social worker/union leader – unions must do more to win SP

12:20 Leaders of Health Care for All CA – SP saves $, must educate  public

14:38 Ana Malinow – Congress’ M4A bills aren’t enough – Need A Movement

When Neil loses his job and health benefits, his wife, Adi can no longer get her life-saving insulin. Out of frustration and desperation, Neil takes matters into his own hands.

Termination Fee is an emotional journey that blurs the lines between comedy and drama. You’ll laugh and cry, while wondering why the United States doesn’t have guaranteed, universal  health care like other industrialized countries.

The last showing is on Sunday, June 29 at 3 PM in Santa Monica. For details, tickets and reviews click the button.

ORGANIZE. AGITATE. EDUCATE. LEGISLATE.

THANK YOU!