The Debate Over Universal Health Care in Washington State: A One-Minute testimony
Testifying in Olympia is a privilege,even when time is limited.Elizabeth New, a representative from the Washington Policy Center, recently experienced this firsthand during a public hearing on Senate Joint Memorial 8004 (SJM 8004), a bill concerning universal health care. With only one minute too speak, New had to condense her prepared testimony, leaving little room for niceties or detailed arguments.
SJM 8004,nearly identical to its predecessor SJM 8006 from 2023,calls for the federal government to enact a national universal health care program. However, recognizing the unlikelihood of federal action, the bill also requests that Washington state be allowed to implement its own taxpayer-financed health care system by reducing barriers or granting appropriate waivers.
In her testimony, New expressed concerns about the feasibility of such a system. “Health care costs are escalating due to many factors, and our state is headed in the wrong direction,” she stated. “Continuing to pursue taxpayer-financed health care sets us up for failure. It offers no hope for cost-containment, just a shifting of who pays the ever-increasing costs and how.”
New also highlighted the challenges faced by countries with taxpayer-financed systems. “If universal, taxpayer-financed healthcare worked, it’d be easier to understand asking the federal government to enact it or help Washington go it alone,” she said. “But we know from other countries, affordability, access, and quality are not achieved. In taxpayer-financed systems, demand always outstrips supply, and then waitlisting and rations begin.”
To support her argument, New referenced a 2024 report by the Fraser Institute, which found that physicians across Canada reported a median wait time of [insert data here]. This, she argued, is a stark reminder of the potential pitfalls of such systems.
Despite the brevity of her testimony, New’s message was clear: universal health care, while appealing in theory, may not be the solution washington state needs.
| Key Points of SJM 8004 |
|—————————–|
| Requests federal government to enact national universal health care |
| Asks for state autonomy to implement taxpayer-financed system |
| Similar to SJM 8006 from 2023 |
| Concerns raised about cost, access, and quality |
As SJM 8004 moves through the legislative process, the debate over universal health care in Washington state continues. Weather the bill will gain traction remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the conversation is far from over.
For more insights into the challenges of universal health care, explore the Fraser Institute’s latest findings on wait times in Canada.the average wait time for Canadian patients to receive treatment after a referral from a general practitioner has risen to 30.0 weeks in 2024, up from 27.7 weeks in 2023. This marks a staggering 222% increase compared to the 9.3-week wait patients experienced in 1993.
In Great Britain, the situation is equally dire. A wall Street Journal article revealed that individuals suffering from heart attacks or strokes wait over an hour on average for an ambulance. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine estimates that 300 to 500 people die prematurely each week due to delayed access to care. Additionally, more than one in 10 Britons are stuck on waiting lists for non-emergency treatments, such as hip replacements.
“Trading one bad system for another isn’t the way to go,” the article emphasizes. Instead of adopting flawed systems, the focus should shift toward reducing government intervention and embracing market-driven solutions that enhance quality and reduce costs. “We have to keep in mind coverage mandates do increase costs,” remarked Sen. Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver, during a recent meeting.
To address these challenges, the Legislature coudl promote price transparency to empower consumers, advance telehealth services, and eliminate Certificate of Need requirements to foster competition and improve access. Innovations like the Surgery Center of Oklahoma, Health Savings Accounts, and direct primary care models highlight the effectiveness of free-market approaches.
The article also stresses the need for more informed consumers who have a stake in their health care decisions. “if someone is paying for your health care, you have no need to care about its cost,” it notes. The solution lies in shifting away from promises of “free” health care and reducing taxpayer dependency.
| Key Statistics | Details |
|———————|————-|
| Average wait time in Canada (2024) | 30.0 weeks |
| Average wait time in Canada (1993) | 9.3 weeks |
| Ambulance wait time in Great Britain | Over 1 hour |
| Premature deaths weekly in Great Britain | 300-500 |
| non-emergency treatment waitlist in Great Britain | >10% of patients |
By fostering competition, increasing transparency, and empowering consumers, the health care system can move toward a more enduring and effective future.
