If you think children’s health care is expensive, consider the alternative

By Sen. Chris Marr

There are those who will tell you that Washington cannot afford to extend health care insurance to every child in the state.

I’m here to tell you we cannot afford not to make sure all our kids are covered. This isn’t my opinion; it’s my experience.

I chaired the board of Empire Health Services at a time when the health-care system nearly declared insolvency as a result of serving the uninsured. I saw firsthand the economic consequences to those without coverage, consequences that quickly become exponential.

First of all, the cost of medical care for the uninsured is passed on to private payers, raising the rates paid by you and me and everyone else who has health insurance. Second, medical care for the uninsured is the most expensive kind because uninsured patients rely on emergency rooms and trauma units instead of primary care and prevention. The triple whammy is the cycle of behavior that develops when kids grow up in families without health care: after spending their formative years getting care in emergency rooms, they continue that pattern as adults and raise their children to do the same. Worse yet, kids who go without routine medical care miss screenings and diagnoses for serious illnesses such as spinal meningitis that can lead to permanent disabilities or even death. They also miss out on routine vaccinations, jeopardizing not only their own health but that of the public at large.

Of course, that’s only the economic half of the equation. The other is moral. Who among us truly wants a Washington where children grow up with rotting teeth and festering medical problems that will hinder them throughout their lives? Ask anyone who works in the health-care industry, and they’ll tell you that early treatment of common health problems such as dental cavities, earaches and asthma saves money and gives people better, healthier lives. These problems undermine people’s quality of life and prevent them in many cases from reaching their potential as employees and productive members of society. And when people become a burden to society, guess again who pays the price? That’s right — you and I.

There’s a better way.

Two years ago, Gov. Chris Gregoire and the Legislature set a goal of extending health insurance to all children in Washington by 2010. Since then, we have reduced the number of uninsured kids by 23 percent. That’s good progress, but we still have 73,000 children without insurance. To continue that progress, I have proposed Senate Bill 5093, which would provide the funding to extend coverage to another 32,000 children in the coming two years. Among other things, SB 5093 will:

• Work with schools to identify kids who lack coverage;
• Save money by giving kids “medical homes” — linking them long-term with doctor’s offices that track their records, are familiar with their individual histories and needs, and steer them to preventive programs and health care;
• Require schools to serve only healthy food and beverages, cutting down drastically on fat- and sugar-laden menu items that lack nutrition; and
• Require kids in grades 1 through 8 to participate in at least 30 minutes of physical education each school day.

This kind of legislation will create a better life for all Washingtonians — those without coverage as well as those whose coverage bears the cost of the uninsured — and it’s the reason this senator came to Olympia. As someone who has worked to improve our state’s health-care policy for a number of years, I am honored to sponsor this bill on behalf of all Washingtonians — but most of all, for the little ones.

Sen. Chris Marr, D-Spokane, is a member of the Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee and represents the 6th Legislative District.

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