The Legislature convened a special session in November lasting 30 days. They were tasked with creating a supplemental budget to close a nearly $two billion dollar gap in funding through June 30, 2012. The Governor proposed a preliminary budget that included drastic cuts to critical health programs like the Basic Health Plan, but also released a later budget proposal that included new revenue to offset some of the cuts. WSNA fully supports revenue options that allow this state to have a fair, balanced budget. During special session, WSNA was active in the legislature with members, our staff and lobbying team (see side bar for a list of recent legislative activities).
Unfortunately, very little progress was made the special session with Legislators only agreeing on approximately $500 million in cuts. Now Legislators must close the remaining $1.5 billion budget gap over the 60 days of the regular legislative session. Many organizations, including WSNA, are urging Legislators to pass a revenue package so that we don’t enact another all-cuts budget that continues to shrink the health safety net for some of our most vulnerable populations.
Budget cuts will deny thousands basic health services!
The Governor’s list of programs for elimination or additional cuts include:
- Stop providing adult Medicaid pharmacy benefits for 277,000 clients
- Eliminating Maternity Support Services for 55,000 women with pregnancies at high risk for poor birth outcomes, resulting in expensive hospitalization such as low birth weight or prematurity
- Eliminate the Basic Health Plan, leaving 35,000 low-income individuals unable to access health insurance through employment or the private insurance market. The BHP serves many young, working poor, and elderly. Losing BHP means forfeiting millions of federal health reform dollars beginning in 2014.
- Cut state grants that support charity care for Harborview and University of Washington Medical Centers
- Cut state funds for HIV prevention and eliminate dental coverage for 1,200 HIV positive clients
- Cut key public health services such as disease monitoring and response and reduce or cut health and safety programs such as drinking water monitoring
- Cut mental health, long-term care, and disability services for more than 80,000 individuals and close four state hospital units for 120 mentally ill patients
- Eliminate alcohol and substance abuse treatment and prevention programs for over 55,000 adults
- Cut interpreter services for 70,000 residents in Washington State
Supporting nursing schools guarantees job growth.
By 2020, Washington will be short 30,000 registered nurses. Cutting higher education when 50% of qualified nursing school applicants are turned away for lack of slots exacerbates the nursing shortage.
Even during times of economic boom, the state had a persistent nursing shortage. As the population ages and the health conditions of our residents become more complex, our communities need registered nurses and advanced registered nurse practitioners more than ever before. At the current capacity of Washington nursing schools, we will be short 30,000 RNs by 2030. Cuts to higher education will put us farther behind. Cuts to nursing programs means hurting job growth in health care at a time when people increasingly demand a skilled nursing workforce.
All Cuts Approach Unacceptable.
WSNA is deeply concerned about this deficit and especially about the prospect of still further cuts to vital state healthcare programs and nursing education. We believe that the legislature must solve this new budget crisis through a balanced combination of cuts and revenue increases.
But for legislators to adopt this balanced approach, they must hear – loud and clear – from the voters in their districts. WSNA wants to help make this happen.
Now is the time to take action!
The legislature must close this gap. Take action and tell the Governor and Legislature that:
- Another all-cuts budget hurts our families and jeopardizes economic recovery
- Washington used to be a leader in innovation because we made a deliberate choice to invest in schools, jobs, and safe, healthy communities through public health
- Now more than ever, we need investments in schools, healthcare, public health, and local community services that will create jobs
- It does not make sense to continue to cut the state budget without raising revenue in fair and equitable ways
We need your voice in Olympia to tell Legislators what budget cuts will mean to you and your patients! Please contact WSNA Political Action Coordinate Richard Burton at (206) 575-7979 ext 3019 or rburton@wsna.org to get involved.
