Mayor, governor unveil plans to expand health care

Associated Press

SEATTLE

Washington’s governor and New York City’s mayor unveiled major initiatives to expand health-insurance coverage Tuesday, the latest moves by key Democratic leaders to address Trump administration health policies they say are keeping people from getting the care they need.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a likely presidential candidate, proposed a publicly run health-insurance option for state residents who are not covered by private employers and buying insurance off the marketplace created under former President Barack Obama’s health care law.

“We need to write another chapter of health care reform,” said Inslee, who provided no details on how the program would be funded.

It came the same day New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, also considered a 2020 presidential contender, revealed a $100 million-a-year plan to expand health care coverage to those who lack it, including immigrants in the U.S. illegally.

A day earlier, California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed state-funded health care coverage for 138,000 young people living in the country illegally and reinstating a mandate for everyone to buy insurance or pay a fine – part of Obamacare that congressional Republicans eliminated last year.

The efforts in liberal strongholds target President Donald Trump’s push to roll back his predecessor’s signature law and are moves toward universal health care as championed by some Democrats.