California Proposition 216, Healthcare Business Regulation and Taxation Initiative (1996)
| California Proposition 216 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 5, 1996 | |
| Topic Healthcare | |
Status Defeated | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
California Proposition 214 was on the ballot as an initiated state statute in California on November 5, 1996. It was defeated.
A "yes" vote supported imposing new taxes on health care businesses for bed reductions, mergers, acquisitions, and restructurings; requiring healthcare businesses to make tax returns public; creating a nonprofit public corporation for consumer advocacy; prohibiting healthcare businesses from denying recommended care without a physical examination, and making other changes to healthcare business regulations. |
A "no" vote opposed imposing new taxes on health care businesses for bed reductions, mergers, acquisitions, and restructurings; requiring healthcare businesses to make tax returns public; creating a nonprofit public corporation for consumer advocacy; prohibiting healthcare businesses from denying recommended care without a physical examination, and making other changes to healthcare business regulations. |
Election results
|
California Proposition 214 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 3,540,845 | 38.76% | ||
|
|
5,593,589 | 61.24% | ||
Measure design
If Proposition 216 had been approved, it would have established new taxes on some health care businesses and individuals. The revenue from the new taxes would have been used to fund a variety of health care services. Proposition 216 also would have added additional regulations to the operation of health care businesses in California.
Specifically, Proposition 216 would have:
- imposed new taxes on health care businesses for bed reductions, mergers, acquisitions, and restructurings;
- imposed new taxes on certain individuals who receive stock distributions from health care businesses;
- provided that revenues from these taxes be spent to administer the measure and to fund specified health care services;
- prohibited health care businesses from denying recommended care without a physical examination;
- required the state to set more comprehensive staffing standards for all health care facilities within six months;
- prohibited health care businesses "from using financial incentives to withhold safe, adequate, and appropriate care";
- increased protections for certain health care employees and contractors;
- required health care businesses to make various types of information available to the public; and
- created a new public corporation, to have been known as the Healthcare Consumer Association. The association would have "advocate[d] for the interests of health care consumers."
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Proposition 214 was as follows:
| “ | Health Care. Consumer Protection. Taxes on Corporate Restructuring. Initiative Statute. | ” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary for this measure was:
| “ |
Prohibits health care businesses from: discouraging health care professionals from informing patients/advocating for treatment; offering incentives for withholding care; refusing services recommended by licensed caregiver without examination by business's own professional; increasing charges without filing required statement; conditioning coverage on arbitration agreement. Requires health care businesses to: make tax returns public; establish criteria written by licensed health professionals for denying payment for care; establish staffing standards for health care facilities. Authorizes public/private enforcement actions. Establishes nonprofit public corporation for consumer advocacy. Assesses taxes for certain corporate structure changes. | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
In 1996, 433,269 valid signatures were required to qualify an initiated state statute for the ballot.
See also
External links
Footnotes
