National Health Care Reform

Issues Update

CalPERS applauded Congress for passing landmark national health care reform legislation that constitutes the biggest expansion of health care since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid over four decades ago. CalPERS will spend more than $5.8 billion this year on health benefits for more than 1.3 million active and retired State and local government employees and their family members. The pension fund has supported national health care reform with a focus on three essential priorities, including:

• Making health care more affordable for all Americans;
• Reforms that include innovative proposals to constrain costs, increase value, and improve quality and efficiency in the health care system; and
• Restrain the growing cost of prescription drugs.