Proposition 8, also known as the Limits on Dialysis Clinics' Revenue and Required Refunds Initiative and Prop 8, was a
California ballot proposition
In California, a ballot proposition is a referendum or an initiative measure that is submitted to the electorate for a direct decision or direct vote (or plebiscite). If passed, it can alter one or more of the articles of the Constitution of Cal ...
intended to authorize state regulation of
kidney dialysis clinics and limit charges for patient care. It failed in the November
2018 California elections
California state elections in 2018 were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018, with the primary elections being held on June 5, 2018. Voters elected one member to the United States Senate, 53 members to the United States House of Representatives, all ...
.
The proposition was sponsored by the
Service Employees International Union
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is a labor union representing almost 1.9 million workers in over 100 occupations in the United States and Canada. SEIU is focused on organizing workers in three sectors: healthcare (over half of members ...
and would have required dialysis clinics in California to give rebates to insurers and pay a fee to the state on any business revenue that went over 115% of the cost to provide care. Two major companies that made up 72% of the dialysis market in the state -
DaVita Inc.
DaVita Inc. provides kidney dialysis services through a network of 2,816 outpatient dialysis centers in the United States, serving 204,200 patients, and 321 outpatient dialysis centers in 10 other countries serving 3,200 patients. The company pri ...
and
Fresenius Medical Care
Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA is an American- German healthcare company which provides kidney dialysis services through a network of 4,171 outpatient dialysis centers, serving 345,425 patients. The company primarily treats end-stage renal d ...
- paid over $110 million to a campaign designed to beat the proposition. This was the most money raised for a campaign like this in
California's
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
history.
Supporters of the proposition argued that it would incentivize clinics to spend more money on better quality equipment and training for employees. Two major supporters of Prop 8 were
CalPERS
The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) is an agency in the California executive branch that "manages pension and health benefits for more than 1.5 million California public employees, retirees, and their families".CalPERSFac ...
and the California Labor Federation. Major opponents of the measure were
California Medical Association
The California Medical Association (CMA) is a professional organization based in California that advocates on behalf of nearly 50,000 physicians in legislative, legal, regulatory, economic, and social issues. The organization was founded in 1856 ...
,
National Kidney Foundation
The National Kidney Foundation, Inc. (NKF) is a voluntary health organization in the United States, headquartered in New York City, with over 30 local offices across the country. Its mission is to prevent kidney and urinary tract diseases, impr ...
and American Renal Management LLC.
Results
See also
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References
{{reflist
External links
California Proposition 8, Limits on Dialysis Clinics' Revenue and Required Refunds Initiative (2018)on
Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia is a nonprofit and nonpartisan online political encyclopedia that covers federal, state, and local politics, elections, and public policy in the United States. The website was founded in 2007. Ballotpedia is sponsored by the Lucy Bur ...
Text of Proposition 8
2018 California ballot propositions
Initiatives in the United States