Insurance Rate Bill Fails In Senate

A measure intended to rein-in galloping insurance rates for people who buy individual coverage failed in the Democrat-led Senate on Tuesday.

The House, meanwhile, approved a bill to include chiropractic and rehabilitation services within the Basic Health Plan, the state’s subsidized health care plan for low-income working people.

The Senate bill, sponsored by Health Care Chairman Kevin Quigley, D-Lake Stevens, was in response to skyrocketing health insurance rates for individuals in the past year.

“All the cost is on the individuals” in the insurance market, Quigley said. “The crisis is so bad today … I’m telling you folks, we can’t take a powder on this.”

But a solid wall of Republicans and one Democrat, Sen. Mike Heavey, D-Seattle, joined forces to defeat the measure, SB6353. It lost 23-25. Another Democrat, Sen. Brad Owen, D-Shelton, was absent.

Republicans contended in debate that the government should stop trying to fix the health insurance system.

“Senator Quigley is trying to do a quick fix to something that is going to take some time,” said Sen. Alex Deccio, R-Yakima.