League of Women Voters of Kitsap

LWVK’s next public meeting will focus on health care, specifically on the whether single payer health care could work in our state.
Here are the details:
When: Wednesday, March 28, 2-4 p.m.
Where: Poulsbo City Hall Council Chambers
Speaker: Martha Koester, board member of Health Care for All-WA
Come get your questions answered: and bring a friend.
Some of the topics to be discussed:
What is the Washington State Health Security Trust?
Can Washington create its own universal health care system?
What are the problems with the health care reform act?
What are the differences between publicly funded 
and for-profit health care?
What are the options for paying for a better health care system?
Videotaped and broadcast courtesy of BKAT (Bremerton/Kitsap Access TV)
Presented through a community partnership with the Kitsap Sun
For more information call Pam Hamon at 360-598-3508 or e-mail pchamon@msn.com

Share on Facebook

Our next public meeting, on April 27, will focus on the crisis in health care funding. Hope to see everyone there. Below are the details.

Public Meeting

Severe Budget Cuts in Health Care Funding

What do they mean for Kitsap County?

Wednesday, April 27
9:30 a.m.-noon
Hostmark Apartments Community Center
6th Street, Poulsbo
(Note: Please park on 6th Street)

Speakers: Dr. Scott Linquist, Director, Kitsap County Health District
Barbara Malich, CEO, Peninsula Community Health Services

They will discuss budget cuts at both the federal and state level and how they will affect our community.

Information: Pam Hamon, (360) 598-3509 or pchamon@msn.com

Share on Facebook

The date for the League of Women Voters health care luncheon at Silverdale Beach Hotel was set a couple of months ago.
At the time we had no idea whether President Obama’s health care reform bill would be passed, would be dead or would still be under debate. As it turned out, our discussion on health care came on Tuesday, March 23, the same day that Obama signed the historic legislation into law.
LWV has long supported health care reform and encouraged its members to express their support for the bill to their Congress members.
Presenting their views of health care reform at the luncheon were Scott Bosch, CEO of Harrison Medical Center, and Barb Malich, CEO of Peninsula Community Health Services.
Bosch said he was glad the health care reform bill passed but said he saw many problems remaining.
“It’s all about the money,” he said. The Medicare Trust Fund is on the decline at the same time as 350 people become eligible for Medicare every hour.
With so many new people coming into the health care system, he also wondered how the medical field would gear up to serve them.
He said the average age of nurses at Harrison is 50, and that medical and nursing schools are not training enough new providers.
Malich said she had been celebrating the passage of the bill and was filled with both “euphoria and uncertainty.”
Her clientele at the community services clinic in Bremerton consists mostly of people who do not now have insurance. Nearly 21,000 people were served last year.
She agreed with Bosch that access to health insurance does not always equate to access to health care, but said the new law will provide scholarships to those who want to pursue a career in medicine and will also help with repayment of student loans for health care professionals.
She deplored the “loss of civility” during the health care debate and urged the League to continue its work of brining people together for informed discussions.
“Don’t be afraid to engage because it’s gotten ugly out there,” she said. “We need your engagement. We need your commitment.”
Next month the League shifts its focus to education, specifically the underfunding of schools in our state. A public meeting is planned for 7-9 p.m. April 20 at Central Kitsap High School. Speakers will be Isabel Munoz-Colon, OSPI budget analyst, and Tom Ahearne, lawyer for the education funding lawsuit.

Share on Facebook

Washington, D.C. – Statement from Mary G. Wilson, President of the League of Women Voters of the United States:

“Today’s votes by the U.S. House of Representatives mark an historic milestone in American political history. The path that began with Social Security and continued with Medicare is reaching fruition with this health care legislation. Comprehensive health care reform will begin to undo decades of neglect and inaction that has left millions of Americans uninsured and at risk.

“This legislation is a monumental step in the fight for social justice.

“Too many citizens lack adequate health insurance coverage and rising costs threaten everyone. Passage of comprehensive health care legislation greatly expands coverage to include millions more Americans; protects the coverage that currently delivers care to most; reduces costs over the long term; and accomplishes these goals at a reasonable cost.

“It would be difficult to overstate the importance of today’s actions, and we commend our elected representatives for standing up for Americans and having the courage to do what needs to be done to confront the health care crisis in our country. The League congratulates the House leadership on a closely-fought victory.

“We can expect transformational reform from these bills. Access to health care will be extended to all Americans. Mechanisms to control rising costs will be put in place. And the marketplace will be expanded and safeguards put in place to protect consumers.

“Truly, this legislation is monumental, historic and transforming.

“Today we took the critical step in dealing with the current health care crisis. Tomorrow, many Americans will wake up to a new week and a new future that looks a great deal more promising.”

Share on Facebook