In July, the Healthcare Issues Team partnered with Whole Washington to present an in-person Town Hall, “Let’s Make Healthcare Happen” in order to facilitate a public dialogue about healthcare experiences and needs and consider a solution.
Carey Wallace, RN, BSN, MBA, the Board Chair of Whole Washington, and Kathryn Lewandowski, BSN, RN, described difficulties with the current healthcare system and solicited audience input about specific problems that they experienced.
Some of the problems the presenters cited included:
- The number of Washingtonians who are uninsured or underinsured.
- The economic impact of healthcare costs (high insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs limit access to healthcare as well as contributing to financial difficulties for individuals and businesses).
- Healthcare inefficiencies that result in rising costs, administrative burdens, and disparities in access.
The presenters reported studies showing a strong correlation between affordable health insurance and life span. Members of the audience reported personal examples of healthcare problems and brought up concerns specific to local healthcare, such as creation of a public hospital district and community representation on the County Public Health Board and PeaceHealth’s Board.
The Whole Washington presenters proposed a plan for addressing these problems: the Washington Health Trust. It is a universal, single payer healthcare plan providing comprehensive coverage, including vision, dental, and mental health services for all residents of Washington State. It would be financed primarily through employer contributions with some employee contributions. Both would be based on the employee’s income. They anticipate that their plan would reduce costs by eliminating unnecessary intermediaries.
More information about Whole Washington and the Washington Health Trust can be found at
www.wholewashington.org. Additional information about League positions and healthcare issues can be found at the League of Women Voters
Healthcare Reform Toolkit.
The next meeting of the Healthcare Issues Team will be on Monday September 16th, at 10 am on Zoom. Program to be announced.