Hope!...

Just thought I'd add a note of hope to the downer I just posted.

Senator Karen Keiser, representing the 33rd Legislative District in the Washington Senate, and Chair of the Health & Long-term Care Committee, has introduced SB 6221, available for review here, which would create a system for universal healthcare insurance coverage in our state. There's a nice review of the issue, and the history of healthcare reform in Washington, in this Puget Sound Business Journal article.

One of the interesting points in the preamble to the bill is the statement: "In 2007, the average annual premium for family coverage was twelve thousand dollars, of which over three thousand dollars are paid by the worker." There are a number of similar interesting statistics noted.

So, thank you Senator Keiser, for your work. And thanks for providing me with some hope...