Insurance companies should pay more for public health in Washington
Together, public health and healthcare create a community safety net to make sure people can improve their health.
Public health works to prevent and control diseases among groups of many people. Think of restaurant inspections to ensure we eat safe food, or vaccination efforts to limit measles outbreaks, or having systems in place in case the 2019 novel Coronavirus were to come to Pierce County. (It has not.)
Healthcare, on the other hand, focuses on individual wellness and helps sick people get well. Think of well visits, preventive screenings, and medication or surgery to address illnesses.
But a lack of sustainable public health funding and affordable healthcare insurance frays this safety net.
The Washington Legislature is considering a solution by which non-profit health insurance companies would help patch the net.
Health insurance companies are important partners. They help cover the cost when sick people need to get well. And they would have to invest more in community health improvement using a portion of their surplus funds if the Legislature passes a new measure.
House Bill 2679 and Senate Bill 6451 propose that these companies contribute to the cost of health insurance coverage for those who don’t quality for subsidies, which would help support the foundational public health system.
They’re already doing this in other ways. Ten years ago, when our state could no longer pay for vaccines for all children, health insurance companies partnered with doctors, legislators and public health leaders to create the Washington Vaccine Association.
Their payments create a win-win: All children get needed vaccines, the state purchases vaccines at low rates, and it’s easy for doctors to administer them. From this partnership, insurance companies save money on vaccines and also save paying claims related to vaccine-preventable diseases.
As non-profit organizations, insurance companies provide community benefits that help improve the overall health of residents in their service areas. It is time for them to take this responsibility to the next level. These bills would require them to use some of their surplus funds to do so.
Foundational public health services benefit people every day all over Washington. Local public health keeps people safe from contaminated food and water, diseases like Coronavirus and hepatitis A, and during emergencies.
But our public health system is in crisis from years of underinvestment and trying to keep up with emerging threats.
Public health is always working on issues that can affect the health of our community. For example, even though we don’t have a case of 2019 novel Coronavirus in Pierce County, we work daily with providers, schools and businesses, the media and the public to answer questions and provide reliable information.
Bolstering funding to public health and helping more people buy health insurance will improve the well-being of everyone in our state. It makes good business sense for non-profit health insurance companies to invest in a system that helps people be as healthy as possible.
These companies have room in their budgets to help people who don’t qualify for healthcare financial subsidies. They have the ability to form a financial partnership with the public health system.
Their surpluses in Washington currently total more than $4 billion. While is good business practice to carry a certain amount of surplus in case of emergencies, this legislation would direct a portion of the remainder to make smart investments in community health.
We all play a role in improving health. We urge the Legislature to pass HB 2679 and SB 6451 to help Washington strengthen the well-being of its communities.
Anthony L-T Chen, MD, MPH, is director of health for the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
This story was originally published February 8, 2020 at 12:00 PM.