KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - During Covering the Uninsured Week, King County Executive Ron Sims and Public Health - Seattle & King County are drawing attention to the large number of uninsured people in King County and innovative strategies to improve health care while reversing the trend of rising health care costs.

"Today, being employed does not necessarily guarantee health insurance coverage. The increasing costs of health care make coverage less affordable for workers and companies," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "We must find collective solutions to increase access to quality health care."

King County Executive Ron Sims established the Health Advisory Task Force in late 2003 to look for ways to improve the quality of health care while keeping costs down for individuals, businesses and government.

More than 130,000 adults in King County are uninsured, and over 70,000 working adults are uninsured. Also, health care costs are expected to increase at 15 percent or more per year for at least five more years.

"We want to control costs by focusing on preventive care, proven treatments, and eliminating unnecessary costs, while providing high quality, patient-centered care," said Sims.

"The uninsured are more likely to require emergency care, and they have poorer health outcomes and a lower quality of life," said Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director of Public Health - Seattle & King County. "By increasing the number of insured people and improving access to preventive care, we will eliminate unnecessary costs and have a healthier community."

More uninsured at county health centers

"Throughout our local clinics, King County is feeling the impact of the uninsured. While we do everything we can to serve the uninsured, our safety net is fraying under the strain of increased demand," said Sims.

The Community Health Center Partnership Program, which provides coordination among Public Health and community health centers, found a nine percent increase in the number of uninsured patients receiving care at Public Health and community primary health care centers. At 23 clinics, four operated by Public Health and 19 run by non-profit community health centers, there were 4,367 more uninsured persons served in 2003 than in 2002. Factors contributing to this increase in uninsured persons include increasingly unaffordable health insurance and restrictions on eligibility for some Medicaid programs.

A recent study by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured estimates that the United State will spend $41 billion for uncompensated care for the uninsured in 2004, and local, state and federal governments will incur as much as 85% of these costs.

For more information on the Health Advisory Task Force, visit: www.metrokc.gov/exec/hatf

For more information on Covering the Uninsured Week, visit: www.covertheuninsuredweek.org

For more information on free and low-cost health insurance for those who quality, visit Public Health: www.metrokc.gov/health/insurance