June 8, 2009

Statement from Rep. Doug Ericksen, ranking Republican on the House Health Care and Wellness Committee, on today’s Basic Health Plan announcement from the state Health Care Authority 

“House Republicans offered a comprehensive plan this year to increase access to health care while reducing costs, providing affordable coverage to all families and fixing the state’s safety net. Part of this plan included reforming the Basic Health Plan, reducing its costs by 54 percent and saving the state $325 million in a two-year budget cycle. All solutions were ignored by the majority party and governor.

“The state is now relying on pricing people out of a health care plan that it lured them to in the first place. Meanwhile, no viable alternatives are being offered to those impacted. This will have serious consequences for the people who the plan was intended to serve – our state’s most vulnerable and economically challenged.

“When it came to making hard decisions, the state punted on the core problems of the Basic Health Plan. There is a clear attempt to run out the clock until President Obama unveils his federal, nationalized health care plan. Given Congress’ poor track record of health care reform, we cannot count on the other Washington for a health care bailout.

“We will continue to provide real solutions to the people of Washington. Now is the time for real reform. Maintaining our current course will lead to nationalized health care and this would not be in the best interest of the vast majority of the people who currently have access to quality health care.”

* House Republican health care solutions for a better Washington can be found here. Their plan to transform the Basic Health Plan can be found here.

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For more information, contact: John Handy, Assistant Director: (360) 786-5758