Gov. Christine Gregoire: It's time for courage, honesty to fix health care crisis

For Immediate Release: October 25, 2005

SEATTLE - Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2005 - Gov. Christine Gregoire today said addressing Washington�s health care crisis will take �honesty, openness, creativity, tenacity and courage.� She made her remarks this morning to more than 500 public and private health care professionals during the Governor�s Health Care Summit at the Seattle Center.

The governor also visited University of Washington's Warren G. Magnuson Health Sciences Center to learn how technology can improve patient care.

�I�m not willing to stand by while 600,000 people go without health insurance in this state, many others are underinsured, thousands of children have no coverage, good employers are struggling, and Medicaid and state employee health costs nearly doubled in the last five years,� Gov. Gregoire said. �The burden on the state�s budget is squeezing our funding for education, infrastructure improvements and public safety. This is a nationwide crisis begging for a national solution, but I don�t see one coming.�

The governor told health care experts she plans to take charge of the state�s health care system for a long-term remedy to the crisis. �We can�t spend our way out of our health care crisis. We have to confront the real issues of why costs are spiraling out of control. I�m focusing on five major changes:
� �First we should significantly increase our use of evidence-based medicine. We�re going to look at results, not watch television commercials, to determine the best care options.
� �Second, I want us to better manage chronic care by working to keep more people out of it, because right now 5 percent of people consume 50 percent of health care costs.
� �Third, people who purchase health care should be empowered with a more transparent system that lets them be informed customers who shop for health care by price and quality.
� �Fourth, we must bring our health care systems into the 21st Century. Let�s use our new technology to eliminate waste, trim down administrative costs and get more efficient, timely delivery of care.
� �And fifth, we need to take responsibility for both our personal health and everyone�s health by promoting healthy lifestyles and choices in our schools, workplaces and communities.�

The governor said these five things will improve the quality of health in Washington while helping to contain costs, improve quality and open up more access to the system.

�I�ll make sure our state leads the way by refocusing our own health care system. We spend $8 billion a year covering 1.3 million people. We�ll make smart purchasing decisions, promote wellness and reward consumers and providers who provide more quality care at less cost. We�re the biggest player in the Washington health care market and I want to use our influence to model accessible, quality, cost-effective health care,� she said.

Gov. Gregoire called on providers, consumers, doctors, hospitals, nurses, public health professionals and government to come together for solutions. �Our task will take a shared vision and a united effort to achieve, but we can do this. We have to do this. Getting by just isn�t good enough. This is about real people with real needs -- real choices and real costs.�

The governor last legislative session made many strides to address problems:
� Initiated a new, state-sponsored prescription drug consortium to reduce costs for many uninsured and underinsured people.
� Retained the Basic Health Plan for 100,000, even for 17,200 adults whose coverage was at risk for elimination this year.
� Fought to keep grants to community clinics at Fiscal Year 2004 levels, preserving the health care safety net for many uninsured and underinsured people who rely on these clinics for health care.
� Stabilized an important avenue of care for many seniors by raising wages of home care workers.
� Adopted mental health parity and restored $80 million in mental health funding cuts by the federal government.
� Increased Medicaid reimbursement rates for hospitals by 1.3 percent each year of the biennium.
� Put 40,000 more children on health insurance, putting Washington on the path of reaching the governor�s intention of insuring every child in the state by 2010.

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