Each day people wake up in Washington wondering how they will be able to afford and find health care for themselves and for their family. Whether we are from a low-, middle- or upper-income family, whether we are insured or one of the more than 600,000 people in our state who are uninsured, we all want the health-care system to be there for us when we need it.
Sea Mar Community Health Center in Marysville sees patients every day who share sad stories about having jobs that don’t provide health insurance, so they are unable to manage their often serious medical problems, such as diabetes and hypertension, with appropriate medical evaluations. They cannot afford to pay for needed tests, specialists or medications to prevent costly complications from their treatable diseases.
Results from a recent public opinion poll show that health care is the No. 1 problem in our state, and voters are specifically concerned about the growing number of uninsured. More than 80 percent said a health-care “safety net” to serve the uninsured is critical.
Despite clear concern, health care is again a target for cuts because the state currently faces a budget deficit. But cutting health-care programs does not save money. The repercussions of a growing uninsured population will cost us economically and in human lives. The more legislators slash, the more people go uninsured, and the more costs are passed on to us all. This hurts the economy, and we’ll continue to battle ballooning budget deficits, more uninsured, and even higher health-care costs.
Our state legislators should heed public concern and give health care the priority it deserves. They can do this by supporting new budget revenues to strengthen community health providers and health-care programs such as the Basic Health Plan and Medicaid. Washingtonians already support this idea. Recent poll results showed that voters support new taxes on tobacco and alcohol and closing tax loopholes to raise revenues to provide coverage for the uninsured.
Investing in our state’s health-care safety net by bolstering funding for community health centers and hospitals is one smart way to ensure healthy citizens. Despite severe cuts of more than $700 million in the last two years, health centers and hospitals remain a lifeline for individuals and an undeniable asset for the state. Washington’s hospitals provided $187 million of charity care in the last year – and that amount continues to increase. This is not sustainable. Cascade Valley Hospital in Arlington has seen a 31 percent increase in uninsured patient visits to its emergency room in the past three years. The hospital struggles financially in its efforts to provide care for all comers.
The number of uninsured patients using Washington’s community health centers has increased by 32 percent between 2000 and 2003, and in 2003 they provided more than $50 million in uncompensated care. By offering a medical home to uninsured patients, health centers provide critical preventive care that saves money by heading off unnecessary hospital visits.
There are thousands of patients with Medicaid in Snohomish County who do not have adequate access to medical care. The volume of Medicaid patients seen in the Cascade Valley emergency room increased by 53 percent in the past three years. There is not enough Community Health center capacity to assist these patients adequately. Funding for community health services should, at a minimum, be maintained at current levels.
Dental and mental health care are also critical issues that threaten to boil over in our state if immediate solutions are not implemented. An estimated 3.1 million people in the state do not have dental insurance, leaving many with serious oral health problems that often lead to expensive ER visits. As new federal government regulationstake hold,denying public mental health services to non-Medicaid eligible people, thousands with treatable mental illness are expected to scramble for much-needed care, compounding an already critical access problem. The result: a statewide mental-health crisis of unprecedented proportions.
Sea Mar Community Health Center in Marysville is inundated by patients with serious mental health problems. The providers do not have the specialized training and resources to adequately address their myriad needs. We must address preventable and treatable problems related to oral and mental health.
Fortunately, Gov. Christine Gregoire set a positive tone for health care with a budget proposal that addresses all of these important health-care concerns. Now the Legislature must follow the governor’s lead with funding and revenues that will allow all Washingtonians to get the health care they need.
We can have it both ways: We can invest in the health of our people and save money in the long run by supporting new revenues for safety net funding. It’s smart for our wallets. It’s right for our people.
Dr. Greg Sanders is clinical director at Sea Mar Community Health Center in Marysville. He also is the current chief of staff at Cascade Valley Hospital in Arlington.
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