Washington Business 2019 Legislative Review & Vote Record | Page 24

2019 legislative review
Health Care
Amy Anderson: Education, Workforce, Health Care, and Federal Issues
Changes to the health care system have been hotly debated in Washington every session and the 2019 legislative session was no different.
With majorities in all three houses supporting a government-funded health care system, the topic was evident in cost transparency,
public option, and telemedicine bills. It is important to differentiate between a universal health care system, where every individual has
health care coverage, and a single-payer system, where there is one entity — usually the government — that is responsible for paying
health care claims. While the debate in Washington state is not settled between these two systems, the actions of the governor and
Office of Insurance Commissioner make it clear they would like to do away with employer supported health care and move to a system
with more government control and oversight. AWB continues to support a free market health care system where employers can offer
coverage as a benefit and residents have the freedom to choose providers and services.
2SHB 1087
concerning long-term
services and supports
Passed/AWB Supported
S e cond Sub s t it ut e Hou s e Bi l l 10 87,
s p o n s o r e d b y R e p. L a u r i e J i n k i n s ,
D-Tacoma, establishes the Long-Term
Services and Supports Trust Prog ram
(Tr ust Prog ra m) to prov ide benef it s
for long-term services and supports to
qualified individuals who need assistance
with at least three activities of daily living.
It also establishes eligibility requirements
for the Trust Program for persons who pay
a premium of 0.58 percent of a person’s
wages for a specific amount of time. Family
caregiving is growing more commonplace
as baby boomers age and combine work in
the paid labor force with unpaid work as
caregivers with eldercare responsibilities.
Caring for an older relative or friend is now
the “new normal” of family caregiving in
the United States. Today, the “average”
family caregiver in the United States is
a 49-year-old woman who works outside
the home and spends the equivalent of an
additional half-time job (nearly 20 hours a
week) providing unpaid care to her mother
for nearly five years. Most family caregivers
are female (65%); about one in three (35%)
are male. Surveys conducted by the National
22 association of washington business
Rep. Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, was voted by her caucus this year to serve as Speaker of the House
starting in the 2020 legislative session.
Alliance for Caregiving and AARP showed
that 36% of the caregivers of adults older
than the age of 50 reported moderate to
high levels of financial strain. This is due
to increased expenses associated with the
care being given as well as lost days/hours
of work due to the need to provide care.
The Wa sh i n g ton st ate L on g-Ter m
Services and Supports Trust Prog ram
will provide a tool for adults to utilize
when t he need a r ises to a llow t hem
a cer ta in level of autonomy w it h t he
support of their family without putting
the entire scope of care on the family,
particularly working family members.
Washington state employers currently
struggle to find the talented and skilled
workforce necessary to fill current job