California Gov. Schwarzenegger Highlights How Comprehensive Health Care Helps Children, Promotes Prevention and Wellness

12/20/2007 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today visited Fancher Creek Elementary in Fresno to highlight how comprehensive health care reform helps California's children and promotes prevention and wellness. Over the last decade, Californians have gained 360 million pounds. One of three children and one of four teens are overweight or at-risk. Second only to tobacco, obesity is a leading cause of preventable death among Californians.

"Stopping these problems before they become serious can improve the lives of millions of Californians and save us billions of dollars in health costs. And I have always said that healthy lives begin right here in our schools," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "All children will be covered under my plan, even if their families are low income and need help from the state. 750,000 California children don't have coverage now. This is important because children without insurance are more likely to suffer from asthma, ear infections and vision problems which hurt school attendance and learning."

A key component of the Governor's plan is prevention, making it easier for Californians to make healthy choices and encouraging people to take personal responsibility. The plan calls for Healthy Action Programs - which reward people for taking preventative health actions - such as quitting smoking, better managing their diabetes, losing weight and participating in breast cancer screenings and immunization programs - with vouchers and credits for health-related goods, services and items, such as weight management program memberships.

Under Governor Schwarzenegger's leadership, California has served as a national model in obesity prevention. The Governor established the toughest and first-of-its kind school nutrition reforms in the nation, taking junk food, Trans Fats and sugary sodas off our campuses. Governor Schwarzenegger has invested millions of dollars in fresh fruits and vegetables in school meals. California also adopted the first-ever physical education (PE) standards and provided unprecedented funding for schools to purchase PE equipment and supplies and to hire new PE instructors.

Earlier this week, the California State Assembly approved AB x1 1, the Health Care Security and Cost Reduction Act.

The Health Care Security and Cost Reduction Act:

* Requires that all Californians take responsibility for their health coverage (individual mandate).
* Guarantees that everyone who wants to buy insurance can get it (guarantee issue).
* Spreads responsibility across individuals, government, hospitals and employers (shared responsibility).
* Makes coverage more affordable for individuals and families through tax credits and subsidies.
* Helps keep hospitals and emergency rooms open by increasing Medi-Cal reimbursement rates.
* Allows individuals to choose their health coverage and keep their current insurance.

Source: California Governor

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