SPOKANE, Wash. – Health insurance costs are a growing concern for residents in Spokane and beyond. Senator Maria Cantwell addressed these issues during a press conference at Washington State University’s Spokane campus.
The press event followed her three-city tour of the Tri-Cities area earlier in the week. Cantwell focused on the rising costs associated with health insurance, emphasizing how recent federal budget cuts to programs like Medicare and Medicaid are affecting individuals, especially in Eastern Washington.
“[They] are really costing Eastern Washington residents. And they’re going to drive up the price of health insurance,” Senator Cantwell stated. “No, we can’t afford more increases in health insurance. We need to get more people covered. And we need to lower the cost.”
Elizabeth New, Director and Policy Analyst at the Washington Policy Center, also weighed in on the matter. She noted that while the federal budget bill has brought attention to the issue, the problem of expensive healthcare is not new.
“Having a press conference now screaming the sky is falling because of what the federal budget bill did, is a little bit silly. The sky has been falling. We are not able to pay for our health care system,” New said.
Both Cantwell and New urged residents to voice their concerns by reaching out to local representatives. They stressed that local lawmakers need to understand the individual concerns of the communities they serve.
