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What we can do as a state to
transform our health care system
Rep. Jaime Herrera
We have been hearing a lot about the national health care debate in the
news. As a state representative and a member of the House Health Care
and Wellness Committee, I am watching closely how proposals in
Washington, D.C. could affect the people I serve.
There is no
question we are facing a health care problem. We need to transform our
current system so families and individuals can afford health care, but
how we go about it is the key. Too many times we have seen ideas put on
the political fast track only to learn later they made the problem
worse. I understand the urgency of the times, but it is better to be
deliberate and effective, than quick and destructive.
One aspect
being ignored at the national level is that states have the ability to
make significant health care reforms right now. It is our responsibility
as state lawmakers to ensure access to quality, affordable health care
for Washington’s citizens. As a fresh voice in Olympia, it baffles me
that our governor and the majority party in the Legislature continue to
wait for Washington, D.C. to solve Washington state’s problems. I have
heard it in committee hearings and from the House floor – leaders in
Olympia choosing to wait for a nationally-run health care system, rather
than work on real solutions in the present time. Our nation’s capital
has a long history of ill-fated health care projects, and who knows if
what they pass will benefit our state. Washington state has always been
a leader in many public policy areas, but in health care it remains
paralyzed at this most critical time.
Now is the time for us to
put people before politics and address our state’s health care problems
head on. Let me share with you some solutions.
Two primary
challenges in our state are sky-rocketing health care costs and
uninsured residents. Health care costs for a family of four have nearly
tripled since 2000. And it is estimated that 11 percent of
Washingtonians do not have health insurance – of which, more than half
are young adults. Both are issues we can address immediately, without
raising taxes or adding new expensive mandates to families, employers
and individuals.
This year, I helped introduce a balanced set of
proposals that would increase access, reduce costs and provide quality
health care options for Washingtonians. This nine-point plan ensures the
freedom to choose health plans approved in other states (not just
Washington’s limited, expensive plans), health savings accounts,
reasonable choices for small businesses, tax credits for health care
plans, core-benefit plans for young adults, incentives for health
provider innovation, and billing transparency. Unfortunately, those in
power in Olympia opted for the status quo and rejected all but one of
these measures.
Given very difficult state budget circumstances,
I also joined my House Republican colleagues in recommending state
employees (including myself) pay a larger portion of our health care
expenses. Everyone is facing higher health care costs and your public
representatives should be no different.
We also proposed a plan
to reform the state-subsidized Basic Health Plan (BHP) – our state’s
health care safety net for those who cannot afford insurance elsewhere.
Our strategy would transform the BHP into a program that helps
Washington residents pay for health plans of their own choosing. Just
because someone has a lower income does not mean he or she should have
second-rate health care. We worked to empower them to go into the market
place and choose a plan that best meets their needs. Our reforms to the
BHP would have cut costs to the state – without endangering quality – to
the tune of $325 million. Again, not surprisingly, the power brokers in
the state’s capital said “no” and defended the status quo, choosing to
wait for a government-run system from Washington, D.C.
Our
biggest barrier at the state level to affordable health care options is
the bureaucrats and others who defend business-as-usual in Olympia. It
is time for more action, fewer commissions and leadership.
No
one has all the answers on how to reform health care at the national
level; it is going to take honest collaboration and a deliberate,
transparent process. State leaders need to step up and be part of the
answer. I will continue to advocate for quality health care solutions
here at home that offer access, increase quality and ensure
affordability, while protecting the independent way of life that we hold
dear here in Southwest Washington.
Rep. Jaime Herrera, R-Ridgefield, represents Southwest
Washington’s 18th District. She is Assistant Floor Leader and a member
of the House Health Care and Wellness Committee.
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For more information, contact:
John
Handy, Assistant Communications Director: (360) 786-5758
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