Story perspectives

Newsom Signs Single-Payer Bill; Critics Cite $731 B Cost

5/6/2026

Summary

Story summary

Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 770 in 2023, prompting the California Nurses Association to call the move a betrayal of single-payer health justice.
A UCLA study estimated that a single-payer system would cost $731.4 billion annually, more than three times California’s $238 billion general-fund budget.
The 2022 Medi-Cal expansion assumed a $100 billion surplus that never materialized, resulting in a $6.2 billion cost overrun and an enrollment freeze.

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Story summary

Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 770 in 2023, prompting the California Nurses Association to call the move a betrayal of single-payer health justice.
A UCLA study estimated that a single-payer system would cost $731.4 billion annually, more than three times California’s $238 billion general-fund budget.
The 2022 Medi-Cal expansion assumed a $100 billion surplus that never materialized, resulting in a $6.2 billion cost overrun and an enrollment freeze.