EVERETT — Washington could be the first state in the country to approve a publicly financed universal health care system if a bill, co-sponsored by representatives from Everett, passes in the State House and Senate.
The bill, currently in committee, would create the Washington Health Trust. Funded by payroll taxes, it would pay the health care expenses of all Washington residents. Businesses would contribute between 4.5% and 10.5% of their wages toward the trust while individuals would contribute 2%. Investors would contribute between 5% and 9% through capital gains taxes.
If put into effect, individuals would no longer have to pay deductibles, premiums, co-pays, medical bills or out-of-network charges for health care coverage, according to Whole Washington, the organization behind the Washington Health Trust initiative. Prescriptions would be capped at a maximum of $250 per year. People would also be able to see any doctor they wish — there would be no provider networks under the trust. Health care delivery would remain largely in private hands.
Mary Fosse and Julio Cortes, two Democratic representatives from the 38th district, which covers much of Everett and Marysville, co-sponsored the legislation. The need for accessible health care is urgent, Cortes said, calling it a “fundamental human right.” The bill presents a long-term vision for more sustainable health care, he said.
“This is one of the policies I’m committed to prioritizing because it prioritizes equity and accessibility in the health care system,” Cortes said. “I know that a lot of families are a paycheck or two away from losing their homes, but also a medical emergency away from losing their homes. I think this bill takes us in the right direction.”
Many wealthy countries have some form of universal health care. The United States spends more on health care than other developed countries for worse outcomes, some studies have shown.
As a nurse, Kathryn Lewandowsky saw the effects high health care costs can have on people firsthand. Now retired and living in Arlington, she is the vice chair of Whole Washington and has been advocating for universal health care in the state for years.
“The people that are hurt the most are those middle-income people that make too much to get any kind of state assistance and don’t make enough to afford quality health care,” Lewandowsky said. “…My brother had high blood pressure, and I remember the panic in his face sometimes when he would lose his insurance. He didn’t know how he was going to stay on his medication.”
In 2011, legislators in Vermont passed a bill to implement a publicly funded health care system, but the state’s governor abandoned the effort in 2014 due to its high costs. Opponents of the bill in Washington see that as a warning sign for what could come if it was signed into law.
The house bill, HB 1445, is currently in the Health Care and Wellness Committee. The committee’s ranking minority member, Republican Joe Schmick of the 9th legislative district, covering much of southeastern Washington, opposes the legislation.
The plan would not be economically feasible, he said, and he worries the reimbursement rates to doctors and hospitals would lower pay for health care providers, driving away talented workers. Proponents also say transitioning to the trust would not mean a loss in federal funding, as the trust would contract to administer Medicaid and Medicare. Schmick worries, however, about whether the federal government would help fund an “unproven system.”
“And this is an unproven system that we’re proposing here,” Schmick said.
In order to move forward, the bill would have to go through committee hearings before Feb. 21. Cortes said it would be difficult to get passed, but is positive about the possibility of it moving forward. Schmick said if the bill does move to the floor, he would “vigorously oppose” it.
Lewandowsky feels good about the bill’s chances, she said, but “preparing for the worst.”
“Right now, we could just do so much more,” Lewandowsky said. “How much further would we be if we’d have done this 40 years ago?”
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.
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