Health Care | Introduction
Currently, more than 800,000 Washington residents lack health care insurance. They tend to forego preventive care and use costly emergency services for basic medical care.
The state's Basic Health Plan (BHP) has been successful in providing health care coverage for some low-wage workers but does not meet the need. EOI promotes accessibility and affordability of health care insurance for low-wage and unemployed workers through expansion of the BHP.
EOI headed up policy research and design of Initiative 773, which expanded health care coverage through the BHP by increasing the tax on tobacco products. In November 2001, the initiative passed with two-thirds of the vote.
We are building on this effort by developing new funding mechanisms for health care for unemployed individuals and for low-wage workers and their families not insured through their employers.