Washington's Insurance Commissioner Gets It!

As regular readers of this blog know, I've been lobbying for better health insurance coverage in my home state of Washington, not just for people like me with expensive, chronic illnesses, but for the almost 600,000 people in the state who have no health insurance.

I'm been disappointed in my state reps and senators, and especially disappointed in Governor Chris Gregoire, a cancer survivor herself, so it's great to see that our state insurance commissioner is not just a front for the powerful health insurance industry (yes, it is an industry, one that wants to make money, and that includes the so-called "nonprofit" health plans).

Mike Kreidler, the insurance commissioner, seems to be on the side of the people who elected him.

That's refreshing. And, sadly, unusual. But, for today, let's celebrate an elected official who is trying to get better health insurance coverage for everyone in the state of Washington, and who seems to be doing his best to prevent health insurance companies from "cherry-picking" healthy people to insure while leaving the rest of us to flounder, heading toward bankruptcy and poor care.

How do I know that Kreidler wants broad pooling and universal coverage? He recently wrote an editorial piece for the Seattle P-I calling for just that. Here's the link:

OK, everyone, into the risk pool

@ Jeanne Sather 2007.