Washington CAN!

Washington CAN’s 2008 Legislative Agenda!

Washington CAN's 2008 Legislative Priorities:

• Envisioning our Future: Quality Affordable Health Care for All
• Insurance Rate-Hike Accountability
• Affordable Quality Health Care Choices for Small Business
• Quality Medical Interpretation for Limited-English-Speaking Patients
• New Americans Initiative

Envisioning our Future: Quality, Affordable Health Care for All

We need to create a roadmap to secure quality, affordable health care for everyone. We will request that lawmakers create a Health Care Working Group to analyze concrete health care reform proposals, engage Washington residents in a robust statewide dialogue about real choices for our future, and make recommendations to the 2009 legislature to set the stage for comprehensive health care reform. This effort is a critical step in developing a health care system that will guarantee affordable quality health care available for all people in our state.

Insurance Rate-Hike Accountability

The Problem - Insurance rates have been skyrocketing each year. The public needs to control the insurance industry's ability to deny coverage and price Americans out of the healthcare system.

The Solution - Expand public oversight over individual rate increases by Insurance Commissioner's (OIC). This increases the portion of the premium that insurance companies must pay for medical claims and limits the ability to raise rates without OIC approval.

Affordable Quality Health Care Choices for Small Business

The Problem - Increasingly small businesses and individuals are unable to get affordable health care coverage in Washington State.

The Solution - The legislature set up a pilot program in 2007 to assist small business owners in providing their employees with quality affordable healthcare coverage. This program is effective because there is a shared responsibility between the employee, the employer and the state. To ensure quality benefits we're asking for full implementation of the approved subsidy from the state to assist low wage workers. Expansion of this purchasing partnership will serve small businesses and employees who are currently priced out of the market.

Quality Medical Interpretation for Limited-English-Speaking Patients

The Problem - Patients who speak limited English often face language barriers to accessing health care. Currently, most health insurers do not cover the cost of medical interpretation, which can leave patients relying on their children to interpret complex medical terminology. This problem contributes to racial disparities in health care.

The Solution - Improve access to quality medical interpretation by requiring health insurers to cover the necessary medical interpretation for policyholders.

New Americans Initiative

Washington New Americans Initiative is an innovative policy designed to secure our state's economic future. It is a proactive approach to integrating our state's 135,000 legal permanent residents eligible to naturalize. Currently, state funding affords only 3,000 immigrants per year this opportunity extended only to those on public assistance. Immigrant integration has proven to be among the most effective state-level economic development strategies. Washington, with the 10th largest foreign-born population— makes it critical that we join five other States that have capitalized on immigrant integration as an economic development strategy. This initiative would establish: (1) a Statewide Policy Council to provide strategic recommendations for immigrant policy; and (2) a three-year campaign that builds the capacity of existing & new organizations to provide naturalization assistance.

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