Community members, nurses, and labor leaders gathered Saturday in Bakersfield for a town hall focused on rising health care costs, federal cuts, and a renewed push for CalCare, California’s proposed single-payer health care system.

The event brought together health care workers, advocates, and residents who shared personal stories and data showing how changes to Medicaid and insurance coverage are already affecting Kern County.

Ryan Skolnick, a community organizer with the California Nurses Association (CNA) who works on the CalCare campaign, explained that CalCare is a proposal to create a single, statewide health care system in California that would replace private insurance with one public plan.

Under the proposal, all California residents would be covered regardless of employment, income, or immigration status. Medical, dental, vision, mental health, and prescription drug coverage would be included.

“Your health care would not be tied to your job anymore,” Skolnick said. “And you wouldn’t lose coverage if you got sick, changed jobs, or lost work.”

Skolnick said patients would be able to choose their doctors and hospitals, and medical decisions would be made by health care providers rather than insurance companies.

“The idea is to simplify the system and put care back in the hands of doctors and nurses,” he said.

He said CalCare would eliminate premiums, deductibles, and most out-of-pocket costs, which he said are forcing families to delay or avoid care.

“People shouldn’t have to decide between going to the doctor and paying rent,” Skolnick said.

Skolnick said supporters argue the system would be funded through taxes that replace current insurance costs, including premiums and copays.

“We’re already paying for health care,” he said. “We’re just paying for it in the most expensive and complicated way possible.”

During the panel discussion, speakers were asked how recent federal health care cuts are affecting people in Kern County.

Kellie Pollack, director of data analytics at Kern Medical and president of the Democratic Women of Kern County, said the cuts are exposing long-standing failures in the health care system.

“We all know that our health care system is broken, and it has been broken for a very long time,” Pollack said. 

She said the recent federal bill has shown “who is falling through and where we are failing to meet the needs.”

Pollack said that after open enrollment ended, Kern Family Health Care removed about 7,000 people from its Medi-Cal rolls.

“That’s 7,000 lives in our community who no longer have access to health care,” she said.

She added that Medicaid covers most births in Kern County and pays for long-term care, hospice, and special education services.

“We’re going to see more patients spending their final days in hospital rooms instead of surrounded by family,” Kellie said.

Audrey Chavez, a community activist, said the fear prevents people from seeking care.

“With the language and attitudes toward people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and undocumented people, many are afraid to go in and get services,” Chavez said. “They already feel like they don’t deserve care.”

Chavez shared an example of an unhoused resident who lacked basic medical supplies. She said a provider recently asked her if she could help find replacement colostomy bags for a man who had been forced to rinse and reuse the same bag because he did not have access to proper medical care.

She said stories like that show how gaps in coverage and access are putting people’s health and dignity at risk.

Sandy Redding, an operating room nurse at Memorial Hospital, shared a story from her own experience.

“There was a child who needed surgery to stay alive,” Redding said. “As we were about to go into the operating room, I was told to stop because they didn’t have insurance.”

Redding said she refused to let the surgery be canceled.

“This child is going to have surgery today,” she said.

She told the audience she offered to donate her services if necessary.

“I said I would do it for free,” Redding said. “The surgeon and the anesthesiologist said they would do the same.”

“Nurses and doctors should be deciding care, not insurance companies,” Redding said.

Audience members also shared personal stories about how gaps in health care coverage affect families.

An Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and palliative care nurse spoke about caring for a patient with terminal cancer who did not have insurance and could not get hospice care. The nurse said the patient stayed in the hospital for weeks because she did not qualify for care after discharge.

“She begged us to let her go,” the nurse said, describing notes the patient wrote as her condition worsened. “Hospice wasn’t covered. She died in the hospital instead of in peace.”

Sam, a military veteran, shared that his granddaughter was born with a serious heart condition and needed multiple surgeries. His family’s insurance covered the first two procedures but refused to pay for the third.

“My daughter had to quit her job so they could qualify for Medicare,” Sam said. “Any health care system that requires people to quit their jobs to get care is really messed up.”

Sam said the situation caused financial stress for the family. Medicare later covered the surgery, and his granddaughter is now doing well.

“Medicare made the difference,” he said. “But it shouldn’t be that hard.”

Organizers said residents can learn more about CalCare and get involved through upcoming movement calls, outreach efforts, and volunteer opportunities shared by the California Nurses Association.