Almost 600,000 Washington residents lack any health insurance, including 73,000 children. Thousands more are underinsured.
A Broken System
Our healthcare system is based on employers providing coverage, but more than a third of businesses don't offer health insurance to their employees. In Washington State, 73% of the uninsured come from working families.
And the problem isn't limited to people without insurance -- millions of Americans are underinsured and can find themselves financially devastated when faced with medical problems. Half of all bankruptcy filings in the United States are at least partly the result of medical expenses, even though nearly 70% of those people had insurance.
Even among people with employer provided healthcare, costs are rising sharply. The average employee contribution to company-provided health insurance has increased more than 143 percent since 2000. Average out-of-pocket costs for deductibles, co-payments for medications, and co-insurance for physician and hospital visits rose 115 percent during the same period.
This is also a major challenge for businesses, especially small businesses. Among Washington employers that have fewer than 50 employees and offer coverage, the average monthly premium for single coverage increased from $164 in 1998 to $317 in 2004. Many small businesses simply can't afford to provide coverage to their employees.
- Tell your representatives in Congress that you support Health Care Reform with a Public Option
- Tell Congress not to balance Health Insurance Reform on the backs of Women or any other group - Health Insurance Reform must provide for all the health needs of every American.
- Tell your state lawmakers to ensure that all children have access to free and adequate health care coverage through the state APPLE program
- Urge lawmakers to open enrollment for Washington's Basic Health Plan for those who cannot accord to purchase insurance.
For the first time in our nation's history we have a real chance at winning true and comprehensive health insurance reform. We are at this moment in history for one reason: People in America are hurting, dying, losing their homes and livelihoods do to rising health care costs and we must bring those costs down to protect our citizens as well as our economy.
Together we can deliver on President Barak Obama's campaign promise of full health insurance reform during his presidency. To do so, we must come together and demand bold and immediate action by our state and federal governments. With our voices and out voices we must demand fair and adequate health care insurance for every American right now.
The Solution
At Fuse we believe that everyone in this country should have accessible, quality health care they can afford. That's why we have joined with national Health Care for America Now! (HCAN) and locally with Washington Community Action Network (WCAN) in fighting for a uniquely American solution that gives all of us guaranteed access to coverage and real choice: a private insurance plan or a new public health insurance that is not at mercy of the private insurance industry.
At Fuse, we have signed on to HCAN's 10 principles for comprehensive health care insurance reform, which in include:
Coverage You Can Afford
- Health coverage that is affordable for every person, family, and business.
- Coverage with premiums and out-of-pocket costs based on your ability to pay.
- Government acts as an advocate, setting and enforcing rules so private insurance companies can't deny coverage or raise rates based on health history, age, or gender.
Comprehensive Benefits You Can Count On
- Standard, comprehensive health care benefits that meet your needs from preventive to chronic care.
- Low out-of-pocket costs (like co-pays) so you can afford to get medical care when you need it.
- Choice of doctors and hospitals.
Choice of Private or Public Health Insurance Plan
- Keep your current private insurance plan or join a new public health insurance plan.
- The choice of a new public health insurance plan is a guaranteed backup that will always be there to ensure quality, affordable health care coverage no matter what.
Equal Access to Quality Care
- Equity in health care access, treatment, research, and resources to people and communities of color and stronger health services in low-income communities.