Insured whether or not we want it

With the passing of the “Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Trust Act” in Washington, We the People are no longer free to choose if long-term care insurance is a service we want. This law requires people who are employed in Washington to either purchase a private long-term care policy or be forced to pay into the state program.

Aside from this being an egregious example of government ignoring the will of the people, the program misses the mark by miles. Out of the gate, the program is underfunded by $15 billion. The State Actuary of Washington reports that the program won’t raise enough money to pay the promised benefit, leading to further payroll tax increases.

It’s clear that the majority of citizens do not support this forced state health care plan. In a 2019 advisory vote, Washingtonians voted 63 to 37 percent to repeal the law, yet Olympia is moving forward with the program anyway.

This law is a clear violation of the people’s wishes and an obvious workaround for enacting an income tax, which is against the Washington state Constitution. This Machiavellian “Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Trust Act” act must be repealed.

Brayden Hedenstrom

Pullman