Health care plan would change negotiations

Mike Kreidler speaks to Council 2 members

WASHINGTON STATE Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has a plan that he says would change the way unions bargain for health insurance coverage.

He has placed the plan before the Washington State Legislature.

Kreidler, who is running for a third term this fall, outlined his plan at a luncheon held by Council 2 during the annual Legislative Weekend in Olympia held in the first week of February.

His proposal would guarantee coverage for everybody in the state of Washington for what is called catastrophic insurance.

“Every resident would receive catastrophic coverage for health-care expenses above $10,000,” Kreidler told Council 2 members. “There would be no need for private insurance to cover anything above that level, but anyone who wished to do so could obtain private coverage up to that figure.

“It changes the picture when you are negotiating health benefits with your employer,” Kreidler explained. “You would be talking only about health care under $10,000. Catastrophic coverage would be off the table.”

Kreidler said his plan would also mean that those who retire before Medicare kicks in would have to find such coverage only up to $10,000.

“It is much easier to buy that than coverage up to a million dollars,” he said. “My plan would drastically change the environment you are in. It brings about a profound change that is sorely needed.”

Kreidler said figures show that those who are uninsured are twice as likely to die if they contract cancer than those who are insured. But the problem is bigger than that.

“Many of us are underinsured,” he said. “As a result, every 30 seconds somebody files for medical bankruptcy because of medical-related expenses. Two-thirds of those people have insurance, but it is insufficient. So the big picture involves the uninsured as well as the underinsured.”

Kreidler said support for his plan is starting to gain momentum, but there is resistance in the Legislature. “Let’s put it on the ballot and have the people vote for it,” he said. “I look forward to working with you to make sure these changes take place.”