BILL NUMBER:  SB 1158
  VETOED	DATE: 09/22/2004




To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am returning Senate Bill 1158 without my signature.

The Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational
Trust recently determined that health insurance premiums have
steadily risen by double digits every year since 2001.  The same
group found that the most common reason stated by employers for not
offering health coverage was high premiums.

While I want children with hearing impairments to have hearing aids,
I am concerned that increasing the cost of health coverage by
mandating benefits, if even by a small amount, would have the far
more serious consequence of leaving some children without health
insurance whatsoever.

For the reasons stated above I am returning this bill without my
signature.

Sincerely,



Arnold Schwarzenegger