Members of the California Senate today voted 23-14 to approve Senate Bill 562, a bill that would create a true single-payer health care system in California.
The California Association of Health Plans says implementing the bill could cost about $400 billion, or about $10,000 per state resident, per year.
The California Assembly will now consider the bill.
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The bill calls for California to use the federal health care funding already flowing into the state to cover part of the cost of running the program, and to start discussions about creating other funding mechanisms.
Bill supporters say putting the government in charge of paying for all health care, and all long-term care, could cut system costs by wiping out huge amounts of administrative spending.