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Posted: 10/01/2010 06:18:07 PM PDTUpdated: 10/01/2010 06:18:07 PM PDT
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's heroic attempt to bring health care reform to California died an ugly death on the floor of the Legislature in January 2007.

But the governor's actions last week give him a second chance at leaving a lasting health care legacy for the state. Schwarzenegger signed historic legislation making California the first state in the nation to set up a health insurance exchange. The laws puts the state on track to be a model for implementing national health insurance reforms and also positions it to take advantage of billions of dollars of federal funding to improve the lives of millions of Californians.

Two bills by San Jose Sen. Elaine Alquist and Assembly Speaker John Perez -- SB 900 and AB 1602 -- provide the framework for the insurance exchange. They set up what is being touted as a one-stop shop for individuals and small businesses to buy health insurance, making it simple for 4 million Californians to determine which products suit their needs at the most affordable price.

Counties should take the state's lead and look for additional opportunities to rake in federal dollars to maximize the potential benefits of the health care reforms. Wouldn't it be great if Santa Clara County and Valley Medical Center could use this rare opportunity to lower medical costs while also establishing the most effective and efficient health care system in the nation?

The governor also signed separate legislation that

would bar insurers from refusing coverage to children with pre-existing conditions, a law designed to work in concert with federal reforms.

Schwarzenegger blew an opportunity to leave an even greater health care legacy when he vetoed San Jose Assemblyman Jim Beall's mental health parity legislation. Beall's bill would have required California insurers to cover mental illness just as they do any other medical problem. The notion was to make sure people get treatment early, before they become a significant burden to society.

It's a shame the governor rejected legislation that would have cost a pittance but improved the lives of thousands of the state's most needy residents.

Schwarzenegger did give foster children a much-needed hand in signing Beall's AB 12, which advocates are calling the most significant policy change in the foster care world in years. The bill extends benefits for foster children until they turn 21.

Think about it: Most parents provide help to their children during their college years, and Californians, in effect, serve as parents to foster children. At present, only 2 percent of foster children graduate from college. This bill gives them a much better chance of transcending their troubled circumstances, graduating from college and becoming productive members of society.

Given the state's economy and the political challenges of getting anything through the Legislature that isn't backed by corporate lobbyists, the governor last week took some big steps toward improving the lives of the state's most vulnerable residents.

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