A one-time tax on billionaires could save us from the brink

Capitol Weekly welcomes Opinions on California public policy or politics. Please read our guidelines for opinion pieces before submitting an Op-Ed. Submissions that do not adhere to our guidelines will not be considered for publication. 

OPINION – Like many families, I’ve struggled with rising healthcare costs. I’ve seen premiums for people I know increase by 200% in a single year, and my own premiums rose by 70% back when I was on a different plan. I’ve watched as the pile of medical bills stacked up, and I’ve made difficult decisions about which would get paid in any given month. At times, I was scared sick that I wouldn’t be able to get care when I really needed it the most.

I decided to work in healthcare because I wanted to help families in our community get the care they need when they need it most. But unfortunately, that care is now at risk.

Massive federal healthcare cuts are stripping $100 billion from California’s healthcare system over the next five years, and every part of the state will be impacted. The pain these cuts will inflict is almost impossible to fathom.

For starters, millions of Californians will lose their health coverage, and millions more will be saddled with increased insurance costs.

Meanwhile, facility closures, reduced services and layoffs will redefine the state’s healthcare landscape. Hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home care will be forced to reduce services or close down. The loss of emergency rooms alone will turn accidents, childbirths, and medical emergencies into genuine life-or-death situations.

The facilities that do remain will reduce services and operate with skeleton crews. Patients will be forced to drive twice as far, and wait twice as long, just to receive medical attention.

The diagnosis is truly daunting for anyone who relies on California’s hospitals, clinics, nursing homes or ERs. That’s why healthcare workers have a plan to save our ailing healthcare system.

The California Billionaire Tax Act would levy a one-time emergency 5% tax on the state’s 200 billionaires. Revenues generated by the California Billionaire Tax Act would go straight toward filling in the budget gaps created by the massive federal healthcare cuts.

The measure is incredibly popular, and it will appear on the ballot this November.

Billionaires are uniquely positioned in their ability to help stop a healthcare collapse here in California. These are individuals who have accumulated tremendous wealth thanks to the unique opportunities afforded them by our state. Now, in a time of extraordinary hardship, their state is calling on them to chip in and pay their fair share.

Everyone deserves the peace of mind knowing that in times of emergency, our loved ones will be able to access life-saving care. By passing the California Billionaire Tax Act, we can make that a reality.

Mikayla Seley is a healthcare worker at Kaiser – Orange County North in Anaheim.