States trying to bring changes to combat healthcare challenges

California’s new governor, Gavin Newsom, has promised to pursue a variety of changes to his state’s healthcare system. Some of them are state negotiation of drug prices, a requirement that every Californian should have health insurance, better assistance to help middle-class Californians afford it and healthcare for undocumented immigrants up to age 26.

The proposal fell short of the sweeping government -run single-payer plan supported by Newsom during his campaign. This would be a system in which the state government would pay all the bills thus, control the rates paid for services. Through this proposal Newsom has challenged the notion that states cannot appropriately tackle healthcare on their own.

But he isn’t alone in this endeavor. Jay Inslee of Washington proposed that his state will offer a public plan, with rates tied to those of Medicare with the aim to compete with private offerings.

New Mexico is contemplating over a plan that would allow any resident to buy into the state’s Medicaid program.

Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York has announced a plan to expand healthcare access to uninsured, low-income residents of the city, including undocumented immigrants. This would bring back focus on social determinants of health and wellbeing.