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House Democrats strip health
care bill of unanimous,
bipartisan Senate recommendations
Deputy
Republican Leader: “This measure does
nothing to lower the cost of health insurance”
Deputy Republican
Leader Doug Ericksen voted no today on a health care measure in the
state House that purports to implement recommendations of the Blue
Ribbon Commission on Health Care Costs and Access. The 42nd District
lawmaker pointed out that
Senate Bill 5930, as passed by the House, ignores
strategy number two of the commission that calls for providing
affordable health insurance options for individuals and small
businesses.
“This bill now runs counter to one of the four primary strategies of the
Blue Ribbon Commission. It also rejects unanimously bipartisan Senate
recommendations that would have helped employees of small businesses,”
said
Ericksen, R-Ferndale. “We must allow small businesses to provide
health insurance plans that are flexible, low-cost and mandate-free. If
we make it easier for small businesses to offer health insurance, then
fewer of their employees will be without coverage or reliant on
government-run health care.”
When Senate Bill 5930 passed the state Senate 48-0, it included
small group reforms, including: offering mandate-free plans; changing
community rating laws; and allowing any small group plan to qualify for
the Small Employer Health Insurance Partnership program.
House Democrats stripped small group reforms from the bill.
“This measure does nothing to lower the cost of health insurance for
consumers. It also does not provide any reforms for our private health
insurance market. In the meantime, more people are going without health
insurance, or struggling to pay for what they already have,” said
Ericksen. “The governor said the Blue Ribbon Commission is being
hailed as the most comprehensive approach to health care the nation has
ever seen. Yet we now have a watered-down bill that does not help people
who are struggling. This is not bold leadership. The people of this
state expect and deserve more that what they got today.”
In addition to small group reforms, Republicans have put forth other
health care solutions as part of their
BEST
for Washington plan, including:
-
Allowing more
affordable health care options in the private insurance market so
families and individuals can afford insurance;
-
Allowing people to
purchase affordable health insurance any place in the nation, much
like car insurance;
-
Reforming
state-purchased health programs; and
-
Exempting
over-the-counter drugs/medicines from the state sales tax.
The 12-member Blue Ribbon
Commission met throughout the last half of 2006 to look at ways to
provide accessible, affordable health care for state citizens, and
submitted a report to the Legislature.
The 105-day legislative session is scheduled to adjourn April 22.
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