Ed Asner was a champion for single payer healthcare, helping to create California OneCare which remains active today using media and bringing in entertainment industry support for our movement. Health Care for All California — another affiliate of Healthy California Now — remembers Ed and the role he played in a 2006 pivotal event.
Health Care for All – California wishes to extend our condolences to the family and close friends of Ed Asner. His lifetime of progressive activism included staunch support for single payer health care, and HCA is grateful to the special role he played in our history.
On 1 April 2006, Ed was the emcee for the HCA-sponsored “April Faux Premiere” fundraiser, which was held at the Motion Picture Grips & Craft Services Local 80 soundstage in Burbank. Over 600 people attended event. In addition to Ed, the program featured performances by Lily Tomlin, Ed Begley, Jr., Cindy Williams, Hector Elizondo, and the author of the current single payer legislation, Senate Bill 840, Sen. Sheila Kuehl.