A growing number of King County residents have no health insurance, which is a serious risk to health, wealth and stability. One in six adults under 65 has no coverage along with more than 15,000 county children.

84% of full-time workers in Washington state are employed by companies that offer some form of health insurance. But those employers constitute only 63% of all firms in the state.

Uninsured rates are higher for people of color and those with low income and little education. Because doctor visits are expensive, uninsured people often don’t seek early—and less costly—care that could spare them from discomfort, lost workdays, serious complications and even death. By the time they’re sick enough to seek help, emergency and medical treatment can result in medical bills far beyond their ability to pay. They may face bankruptcy or homelessness, while the unpaid costs of their care get passed on to the insured. Even among the insured, coverage may be expensive and inadequate for certain care services and prescriptions, mental health or alternative treatments like acupuncture. There are fewer opportunities for children and adults to access to low income dental care. People of color, non-English speakers, and sexual and gender minorities may not only receive poorer care, but also often encounter discrimination that further obstructs their access to care.

Promising Strategies in Access to Healthcare: Work That Donors can Fund

• Expand health insurance coverage to more children and adults by pursuing strategies ranging from advocacy to better information and referrals.
• Link people to existing low-income or low-cost health insurance programs.
• Enhance community health clinics that provide high-quality medical and dental care to uninsured or underinsured patients.
• Expand insurance coverage for acupuncture, naturopathy and other alternative treatments.
• Expand interpretive services, cultural competence and specialized care for communities likely to encounter discrimination.
• Recruit dental and medical volunteers to provide services to low-income children and adults.

What's Working in Access to Healthcare: Local programs in Action

• Verbena Health supports healthcare for lesbians, bisexual women and transgender individuals through free health screening events, peer education, health fairs, retreats for cancer survivors and caregivers and cultural competency training.
• Puget Sound Neighborhood Health Center Clinics help people enroll in low-cost or free healthcare insurance plans.
• Pioneer Square Clinic and Plymouth Housing Group's Podiatry Project provides on-site podiatry and nursing visits to hard to reach, low-income housing residents, nearly all of whom were previously homeless. Footcare offers an effective, non-threatening point of contact to engage residents, assess their unmet medical needs and to guide them to receive appropriate medical care that will promote good health and increase the likelihood of maintaining stable housing.