California governor-elect Gavin Newsom recently hired several individuals with extensive backgrounds in healthcare legislation to become members of his cabinet. The move reportedly signals his ambitions to change the state's healthcare policies, The Sacramento Bee reports.
Here are four things to know:
1. Mr. Newsom's recent appointments include Ann O'Leary, a former Hillary Clinton aide who helped develop the federal Children's Health Insurance Program, and Ana Matosantos, who helped lead negotiations to expand health insurance under former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration, the report states.
"These are the appointments of a governor who is serious about doing something big on healthcare. You have folks who have engaged the issue very seriously and have the scars to prove it," an executive with the nonprofit coalition Health Access California told the publication.
2. While Mr. Newsom campaigned on the platform of expanding healthcare access through a government-funded single-payer system, a California assemblyman told The Sacramento Bee his cabinet appointments indicate plans to work toward universal coverage rather than a single-payer system.
3. Whatever his plans, Mr. Newsom will still need to work with federal officials to achieve change. Ms. O'Leary and Ms. Matosantos have extensive experience at the federal and state levels to help garner funding for the state's health programs.
4. More than half of California's 3 million residents who lack healthcare coverage are not eligible for coverage because of immigration status, the report states.
To access the full report, click here.