Matthew Hamilton and Claire Hughes are reporting at Capitol Confidential the state Assembly late Wed., May 27, approved a bill that would create a single-payer health system in New York. The bill passed 89 to 47. The vote was the first to occur on the proposal, which Health Committee Chair Richard Gottfried has introduced to the Assembly every year since 1992. The proposal, called the New York Health Act and dubbed “Medicare for all” by advocates, would provide comprehensive health coverage to all New Yorkers. With 82 co-sponsors, the bill has a chance of passing in the Democrat-controlled Assembly. Passage is highly unlikely in the Republican-majority state Senate. Vermont recently backed away from implementing a single-payer plan due to cost. However, an analysis released in March by a University of Massachusetts professor estimated New York health care expenditures would actually be reduced by $45 billion a year if the single-payer law were enacted. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.