"SB 562 guarantees that our families, friends and neighbors, especially the most vulnerable, our elders and children, will receive the health care they need."

The campaign for the Healthy California Act is inviting area residents to a community briefing in Garden Grove, Calif. on Saturday, April 8 to learn about SB 562, a bill introduced in the California Senate last month that would guarantee health care to all Californians by establishing a Medicare for all type system.

What: Community briefing on SB 562, the Healthy California Act
When: Saturday, April 8, 2 -4 p.m.
Where: Garden Grove Community Center, 11300 Stanford Ave. Garden Grove

"I am looking forward to facilitating the community briefing on the Healthy California Act this weekend because I know Garden Grove and Orange County will be greatly helped by this legislation," said Bao Nguyen, the former Mayor of Garden Grove. "SB 562 guarantees that our families, friends and neighbors, especially the most vulnerable, our elders and children, will receive the health care they need," said Bao Nguyen, who also served as a trustee on the Orange County Unified School District Board.

"As a member of the Senate Health Committee in the California State Legislature, Sen. Janet Nguyen can play a vital role in supporting this innovative solution to our healthcare crisis, the Healthy California Act. It creates one comprehensive insurance plan that gives every California resident the freedom to choose their healthcare provider," said Haiching Cheah, who has worked as an RN in Orange County for 24 years.

A recent report by the Orange County Children's Partnership shows that thousands of children in the county have inadequate access to health care and medications and that there has been a startling 84% rise in hospitalizations due to serious mental health conditions. There has also been a decline in access to prenatal care, with the largest decrease among women of Asian descent.

"These findings all point to Orange County's need for SB 562, which would guarantee access to preventive and therapeutic treatment, including mental heath care," said Haiching Cheah, RN.

"As an ER physician for over 30 years in Orange County, I've seen on a daily basis the many patients that fall through the cracks of American healthcare," said Dr. Bill Honigman, who will be participating in the briefing on Saturday, and co-chairs the Healthy California Campaign in Orange County. "I see people with neglected medical conditions including life-threatening dental infections and unstable mental health problems, people who refuse various recommended tests or treatments because they can't afford them. People are not getting the care they need to keep them well and productive residents of Orange County."

"We know from the experiences of every other industrialized country in the world that single payer healthcare systems save money and save lives. It's time that California, the fifth largest economy in the world, insure health care for all its residents by passing SB562," said Dr. Honigman.

The California Senate Health Committee is expected to hold the first hearing on SB 562 later this month. Advocates have planned a series of town halls and community briefings in districts represented by Senate Health Committee members and will start door-to-door canvassing this weekend.

SB 562 takes on even greater urgency with the lingering uncertainty of healthcare nationally. According to event organizers, response to the bill has been enthusiastic at community venues across the state.

Senators Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens), and Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) introduced SB 562 in February; Senators Benjamin Allen, Cathleen Galgiani, Mike McGuire, Nancy Skinner, and Scott Wiener are co-authors. Assembly Members Rob Bonta, David Chiu, Laura Friedman, Ash Kalra, Kevin McCarty, Adrin Nazarian, Mark Stone, and Tony Thurmond are also co-authors of the bill. The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU) is the primary sponsor, working with the Healthy California Campaign, comprised of organizations representing over four million Californians.

The bill declares that it is “the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would establish a comprehensive universal single-payer health coverage program and a healthcare cost control system for the benefit of all residents of the state.”

Read the text of the bill at: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB562

The town halls and the bill are co-sponsored by numerous organizations including Americans for Democratic Action - Southern California, California Nurses Association, California Alliance of Retired Americans, California Partnership, Campaign for a Healthy California, Clinica Monsenor Oscar A. Romero, Communities for a Better Environment, Consumer Federation of California, Courage Campaign, Health Care for All - California, J. Glynn & Associates, Labor United for Universal Healthcare, National Union of Healthcare Workers, Our Revolution, Physicians for National Health Program - CA, Progressive Democrats of America, Single Payer Now, and UPTE-CWA 9119.