U.S. Senate health care bill threatens coverage for a half million King County residents

  • Monday, September 25, 2017 3:53pm
  • News
U.S. Senate health care bill threatens coverage for a half million King County residents

Analysts with Public Health – Seattle & King County reviewed available details of the Graham-Cassidy bill and determined potential impacts on King County residents.

The bill would repeal the health insurance exchanges, repeal the expansion of Medicaid to cover lower-income and homeless adults and undermine the traditional Medicaid program which has served as a safety net for 50 years.

“This is becoming like Groundhog Day. Instead of strengthening the health care system, Graham-Cassidy would set us back decades and leave people sicker and poorer,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine in a county media release Monday. “In King County, we reduced the uninsured rate by 60 percent. Congress needs to build on this success with legislation that actually delivers on bipartisan promises to improve access to health care.”

The bill’s supporters say it gives states more flexibility to address the needs of their residents, but it actually reduces funding to states and eliminates coverage—meaning less health care access nationwide.

In addition, the current proposal punishes the people of Washington who signed up for insurance in record numbers. It would take away funding from our state to send additional money to states who did not offer coverage to their residents.

The King County Health Enrollment Leadership Circle on Monday issued a letter urging senators to reject Graham-Cassidy because of the harm it would do to local residents and the economy. The Leadership Circle joins other medical, business, labor and patient advocacy groups that have condemned the proposal.

According to the review by Public Health, by turning all of the health insurance exchanges and Medicaid into a block-grant program, including traditional Medicaid as it’s existed since 1965, while capping spending and shifting funds to other states:

• A half-million King County residents currently on Medicaid or Exchange plans would face uncertainty and the threat of lost coverage, including 150,000 people who enrolled in health care through Medicaid expansion.

• 12,000 King County residents who depend on Medicaid for mental health or substance abuse treatment would likely lose their access to care—meaning the opioid and homelessness epidemics will worsen, as access to treatment disappears.

• All residents who have a pre-existing condition, such as asthma, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, cancer or heart disease, would lose the certainty that they can get affordable insurance.

• 26,000 low-income women in King County would lose basic health care access by the de-funding of Planned Parenthood.

• All women in King County, regardless of income level, could lose affordable access to basic women’s health care including birth control, breast cancer and cervical cancer screening.

The impacts would extend to health care clinics and hospitals, as medical providers would lose reimbursement for treating lower income clients.

Continued uncertainty around health care reform has already contributed to increased insurance premiums.

Public Health earlier this year issued a four-point measuring gauge for all health-care reform proposals. The current proposal falls short in all four areas.


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in News

File photo
Man sentenced in Federal Way rock throwing death

Judi Kilma retrieved a fist-sized rock after a man punctured one of the tires on Kilma’s bicycle.

t
Kent Police Blotter: March 11-25

Incidents include commercial burglary, DUI arrest

Flowers for slain trooper Chris Gadd begin to collect outside Washington State Patrol District 7 Headquarters on Saturday, March 2 in Marysville. (Ryan Berry / Sound Publishing)
Lynnwood man pleads not guilty in crash that killed WSP trooper

Raul Benitez Santana arraigned Tuesday on vehicular homicide charge in Trooper Chris Gadd’s death.

Captain Ron Mead and Corporal Alexis Robinson embrace during a memorial for Washington State Patrol trooper Chris Gadd on Tuesday, March 12 at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / Sound Publishing)
Man was reportedly driving 112 mph before crashing into Trooper Gadd

Charging documents reveal details of March 2 crash that killed Kentlake High graduate

t
Kent apartment shooting injures man, woman on East Hill

Incident began Sunday, March 24 as domestic dispute; woman’s brother gets involved and shots are fired

Chase Wilcoxson, father to Matilda, 13, and Eloise,12, places a family photo at the roadside memorial dedicated to his daughters, Buster Brown, 12, and Andrea Hudson, 38. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.
Families forgive Kent suspect involved in fatal crash near Renton

High-speed collision March 19 killed four; families of victims call to make the roads safer

t
Kent mayor plans to keep fighting for sales tax to hire more police

State of the City address also touches on new restaurants, roundabouts and walking paths

t
Crews to begin work on $13.8 million final phase of 76th Avenue upgrade

Street to be raised above Mill Creek floodplain, paved with concrete; bridges to replace culverts

t
Smoke alarms help Kent family of five escape house fire

Firefighters rescue one male from roof in March 19 fire on East Hill

File photo
Victims identified in ‘mass casualty’ collision that killed four near Renton | Update

Detectives say the collision was caused by an 18-year-old driver.

t
Semi-truck rollover blocks Green River Bridge in Auburn

Traffic had to be diverted from State Route 18; heavy impact on Kent streets

t
Seattle church’s donation to cover asylum seekers bill at Kent hotel

Group to remain at Kent Quality Inn for two more weeks