BILL NUMBER:  AB 244
  VETOED	DATE: 10/11/2009




To the Members of the California State Assembly:

I am returning Assembly Bill 244 without my signature.

I have vetoed similar measures twice before.  The addition of a new
mandate, especially one of this magnitude, will only serve to
significantly increase the overall cost of health care.  This, like
other mandates, also increases cost in an environment in which health
coverage is increasingly expensive.

California has over 40 mandates on its health care service plans and
health insurance policies. While these mandates are well-intentioned,
the costs associated with the cumulative effect of these mandates
mean that these costs are passed through to the purchaser and
consumer.

I continue to have serious concerns about the rising costs of
healthcare and must weigh the potential benefits of a mandate with
the comprehensive costs to the entire delivery system ? and for that
reason, I cannot support this bill.

Sincerely,



Arnold Schwarzenegger