Fight Healthcare budget cuts and protect patients

SEIU members joined together at the Capitol in early December to tell legislators that the 2010 proposed state budget will leave our healthcare system is in crisis. Mark your calendar for our February 11 Lobby Day to tell legislators that healthcare for our patients and families is on the line.

Under the governor’s budget proposal:
• 100,000 adults and children will lose access to their health insurance, leaving them uninsured
• 50,000 women lose maternity services for high-risk pregnancies, placing mothers and unborn babies at risk for complications
• Nearly 9,000 patients will lose community mental health services, leaving them on the streets without care
• 29,000 people will lose access to GAU, which is the last resource for the disabled, blind, and elderly.
• 85,000 seniors lose prescription drug assistance at a time when they can’t afford the medications they need
• Rainier School will close early, and leave patients without adequate community support.
We need all solutions on the table, and the Governor plans to propose a revenue package that will help restore these programs, protect our jobs, and help our families when we need it most. The Governor plans to propose restoring nearly $700 million in cuts, but it’s not nearly enough to prevent additional cuts this year.

This isn’t the healthcare system we want to see. This budget leaves families in crisis instead of helping them when they need it most. Tell our state legislators that an all-cuts budget is unacceptable, and we’re counting on them to help our patients during these tough times with new revenue.