The state Assembly approved a bill Tuesday that would create a state-ran, single-payer health insurance program to provide healthcare for all Californians. The proposal by state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, whose 23rd District includes portions of the Western San Fernando Valley, would create the California Health Insurance Agency to pay for medical, dental, vision, prescription drug, hospitalization and emergency coverage. Under the plan, the state system would pay doctors and medical facilities instead of private insurance companies. Consumer premiums would be based on how much a person earns. Premiums for businesses would be determined by payroll. “California’s healthcare system is the very definition of a system in crisis. Costs are high and options are low,” said Valley Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, a co-author of the bill. “California spends more than $180 billion a year on healthcare and a single-payer system would lower overall spending while covering everyone.” The bill has been fiercely opposed by the insurance industry, especially the California Association of Health Underwriters. They contend the single-payer system would increase taxes and wait times for care, limit technological advances and decrease personal choice. The group has also been critical of the plan because it does not address rising costs. In a statement released Tuesday, CAHU President David Benson said the plan is bad for California. “There are no silver bullet reforms to California’s healthcare system,” he said. “The most effective means of solving the healthcare crises is by improving our public/public healthcare system through greater promotion and significant reform of existing public programs, employment-based coverage and individual policies.” The bill, already approved by the state Assembly, now awaits a vote by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The governor has indicated before that he opposes the plan.