Kathleen Thompson: Initiative 2124 will take away essential home care, increase preventable visits to the hospital
By Kathleen Thompson
Initiative 2124, on our November ballot, is misleadingly worded to sound like a small change – making our state long-term care benefits program optional – but it would effectively bankrupt the program, taking benefits away from nearly 4 million Washingtonians. As the Tri-City Herald pointed out, editorializing against I-2124: “This is the same principle that makes programs like Social Security work – universal participation is necessary to keep it effective and affordable for all.”
As a nurse it is my ethical obligation to advocate for the health and well-being of my patients, their families and their communities. Nurses spend the most time listening to patients, getting to know what is important to them. We make sure they understand their diagnosis, treatment plans and medications. We speak up for them so they get the care they need. So it is frustrating when we see someone admitted to the hospital with preventable conditions caused by missed medication, dehydration or falls. They end up at the emergency room or in a rehab facility because they aren’t getting the ongoing support they need at home.
In my home health visits, I often see older adults who need ongoing support from a caregiver. With no one to cook them healthy meals, provide basic house cleaning, or do their laundry, they struggle. They have not bathed in a long time because they fear falling in the shower. They make mistakes when taking their medication. They miss medical and dental appointments because they don’t want to impose upon their neighbor for a ride.
When I speak to younger adults they can’t envision a time where this could be them. The term “long-term care” conjures an image of very elderly people in a nursing home. But the fact is 40% of people who need help with daily living activities as a result of a serious injury, illness or disease are under the age of 65. And most people don’t need 24/7 care. They need the support of a home care aide, modifications like grab bars, a ramp, walk-in shower or medical equipment like a wheelchair or hospital bed. These are examples of support that our state’s long-term care benefits will help us pay for.
To many people’s surprise, these expenses are not covered by health insurance or Medicare. The typical American only has $1,200 in savings to cover an emergency, so more families are going into debt or being forced to drain their life savings, and even sign over their home, to qualify for Medicaid. When a loved one needs long-term care, it is traumatic for them to be forced to move. Washington’s long-term care insurance program is going to be a game-changer, helping make it possible to live in our own homes, near family and friends.
More than 140 organizations, including AARP, the Washington State Nurses Association, the League of Women Voters, the National MS Society, and others who advocate for workers, retirees and patients oppose I-2124. Middle class families – nurses, firefighters, grocery workers and other essential workers – simply can’t afford the expensive premiums private insurers charge. And those of us with pre-existing conditions – such as cancer, diabetes or high blood pressure – would be rejected for private long-term care insurance policies, even if we could afford them.
Lawmakers have strengthened the state’s program, covering near retirees and part time workers, and making our benefits portable so we can tap them even if we move out of state. Reject I-2124 to protect and continue improving benefits so many of us will need when we or our loved ones experience the inevitable challenges life throws our way.
Kathleen Thompson is a nurse at Providence VNA Home Health, a resident of Spokane and a member of the Washington State Nurses Association.