Matthew Hamilton is reporting at Capitol Confidential advocates for a state-level single-payer health care system are stepping up their calls for legislative action before the end of the current session on June 16. While the Assembly passed a bill last year, approval by the Republican-controlled state Senate is unlikely. Assembly member and Health Committee chairman Richard Gottfried said at a rally in Albany, Tue., May 24, under single-payer all state residents “...would be entitled to full, complete health coverage — better health coverage than you or I or anybody in New York has today.” The call for a "Medicare for all" system was not without its detractors. A representative of the fiscally conservative Empire Center said the state's high Medicaid and workers compensation costs should be addressed by improving those programs, not with the adoption of a single-payer health care system. And the New York Health Plan Association accused single-payer supporters for having a “utopian view” of the issue. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential,