Coalition Vows Not to Let I-2124 Sponsors Block Voters From Learning I-2124’s Impacts
Health, Consumer, Worker and Good Government Leaders Say I-2124 Will Kill WA’s Long-Term Care Program, Increase Costs and Hurt Women
Seattle, WA – Today at a press conference in Seattle more than 120 patient and consumer organizations and advocates for workers and families representing more than 2 million Washingtonians launched a statewide campaign to defeat ballot initiative 2124.
Representatives from AARP, the Washington State Nurses Association, the National MS Society, MomsRising, and the League of Women Voters say I-2124 would kill Washington’s long-term care insurance program, taking benefits away from 3.9 million workers. Early polling shows a majority of voters oppose I-2124, especially once they hear the facts about how it will increase costs, hurt working women and people with pre-existing conditions.
Opponents of I-2124 pointed out that the measure misleadingly does not tell voters the actual impact would be to kill the program. According to independent experts and representatives of the private long term care insurance industry making the program voluntary would effectively bankrupt it.
Cynthia Stewart, League of Women Voters said: “We will not let I-2124 sponsors hide the truth from voters about I-2124 impacts on women, taxpayers, and families. I-2124 will send us backwards, where only people of means can afford long-term care insurance, which charges women more than men. It will widen the gender income gap, take women out of the workforce, and increase the financial strain on families faced with long term care expenses.”
Ai-jen Poo, MacArthur Genius Award winner Executive Director of Caring Across Generations, and author of The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America headlined the event: “The whole country is watching Washington. Defeating I-2124 is critical not just to the future of millions of Washingtonians, but to the future of care across America. I-2124 is especially harmful to Washington women. 1 in 4 Americans today – most often women – have no choice but to leave jobs to care for family members. Millions in the “sandwich generation” are caring for both their children and their parents or other loved ones, limiting… even destroying… their career, their income and ability to save for their own needs and dreams.”
Christina Keys of Vancouver, an advocate for family caregivers, shared her experience:
“When my mother had a debilitating stroke at the age of 63, I had no choice but to leave my own career and care for my mother. Like most people, we had no other options. We were shocked that mom’s health insurance would not pay for a home care aide, or home modifications like a walk-in shower, wheelchair ramp or equipment like a hospital bed. Medicare pays for very little - only covering one piece of medical equipment every five years. Take it from me, we cannot afford I-2124, which would make what is already a costly heartbreaking journey even harder for millions of Washingtonians.”
Justin Gill, President of the Washington State Nurses Association explained why the organization opposes I-2124: “WSNA opposes I-2124 because it will directly harm the patients we care for every day. I see patients every week who just can’t get the ongoing support they need at home. They fall, develop an infection, miss medication doses, or become malnourished. They cycle in and out of the ER, being admitted and discharged from the hospital. By killing care coverage that could prevent these ER visits, I-2124 is going to drive up the cost of healthcare for everyone. If I-2124 passes, millions of us, including frontline essential workers like nurses, grocery store clerks, teachers and firefighters, will lose our long term care coverage. Nurses can’t afford the expensive premiums private insurers charge. And those of us with pre-existing conditions - like cancer, diabetes, or high blood pressure - wouldn't be eligible for those policies even if we could afford them.”
Seth Greiner, Washington state based senior manager of advocacy for the National MS Society said: “I-2124 will take away the only long-term care coverage option for many, as private long-term care insurance companies deny policies to people with pre-existing conditions and premium costs are prohibitive. The very people who are most likely to need long term care as a result of their disease won’t have any choice but to drain their families savings to qualify for Medicaid. If I-2124 passes, millions of people with pre-existing conditions will experience increased uncovered medical expenses and debt as they struggle to pay for home care, equipment, and other support they need to live with dignity.”
Marguerite Ro, Washington State Director of the AARP shared: “In Washington, more than 800,000 unpaid family caregivers care for adult loved ones and spend, on average, $7,000 a year out of their own pockets. We make these sacrifices because most of us do not have a way to pay for long-term care expenses, which are not covered by traditional health insurance or Medicare. I-2124 will remove the safety net which will help Washingtonians age with dignity and get the care they need at home—where they want to be.”
Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner of MomsRising added: “Washington moms oppose I-2124. And we are determined to defeat it in November. Access to long-term care is essential to our families, businesses, economy - and to our moms. Moms are the main people doing the often unpaid work of providing care to children and parents – sometimes both at the same time. Fewer than half of us have$5,000 in savings to use in an emergency. Women are 73% more likely to permanently be pushed out of jobs and five times more likely to work part-time to meet caregiving demands than men. I-2124 would take away funds that support those of us who become full-time family caregivers. It would put us at the mercy of companies that routinelyjack up premiums,delay and deny claims, anddiscriminate by charging women more than men. Caregiving is essential work. MomsRising’s 40,000 Washington State members know that. And we will defeat I-2124 in November.”
