(COMMON DREAMS) Deirdre Fulton, March 31, 2017 — ‘The momentum is building,’ says one Democratic lawmaker

As the national healthcare debate rages in the wake of the GOP’s TrumpCare disaster, universal healthcare advocates have identified an opening to advance the long-held goal of enacting a single-payer (or similar) system—one that truly provides coverage for all.

Signs this week suggest that opening is getting wider. One bright spot was Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) announcement over the weekend that he will soon introduce a Medicare-for-All bill in the U.S. Senate. Other promising signals included:

1. To much fanfare,  a California lawmaker on Thursday unveiled details about Senate Bill 562, or the “Healthy California Act,” a single-payer proposal to create universal health coverage (including inpatient, outpatient, emergency care, dental, vision, mental health, and nursing home care) for every California resident.

“With Republicans’ failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Californians really get what is at stake with their healthcare,” said Democratic state Sen. Ricardo Lara, who is co-sponsoring the bill along with state Sen. Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego). “We have the chance to make universal healthcare a reality now. It’s time to talk about how we get to healthcare for all that covers more and costs less.”

“At a time of critical disarray of our national healthcare system, California can once again lead the nation,” said RoseAnn DeMoro, executive director of the California Nurses Association and National Nurses United (NNU), both of which are supporting the legislation. “This bill will set a standard in America and be a catalyst for the nation.”

SB 562 also has the support of Physicians for a National Health Program, which publishedits own analysis of the proposal.

Source: Five Promising Signs (From This Week Alone) That Single-Payer’s Gaining Steam | Common Dreams