Letter to Editor | Temporary health levy will strengthen our island economy

||| FROM RICK HUGHES |||

I’m never a fan of any new tax and especially in this current environment, but I feel that this levy is a good investment for the good of the island.

The Orcas Island Healthcare District (District) 10 year temporary levy lid lift on the ballot this April is a long-term investment not just in improving Islanders’ health, it is a long-term investment in our island economy and islanders’ checking accounts. 

The temporary levy has three uses: maintain current operations (the primary care clinic on Deye lane), expand and modernize the facilities (the clinic is too small for our long term needs with an aging population and a growing population), and provide new primary care services (there are several types of expanded primary care that currently require off island travel).  As a long-time island small business operator, Board of Health member and through my time as County Council member working with many Orcas small businesses, I am confident these investments will support the broader Orcas economy in three ways: 

• First:   The temporary levy will improve our island economy, by supporting more good paying, on-island jobs. The clinic and district currently employ 22 full-time islanders (only 1 lives off-island). With a  temporary levy lid lift, there would be more employees to support expanded primary care. There are several studies showing that for every healthcare job, local economies generate additional non-healthcare jobs and that is also true on Orcas.
• Second: The temporary levy will improve the bottom line of small businesses by raising staff attendance rates. When a worker has to leave the island for basic primary care services, such as prenatal care, dental care, or unexpected after-hours care, businesses cannot easily fill that vacancy on short notice, leading to lost revenue. Or if they do have temporary staff, it costs more, lowering margins. By expanding programs, the temporary levy will improve businesses margins. 
• Third:  The temporary levy will boost islanders’ checking accounts. Yes, of course the levy costs money to property owners, but the investment will pay for itself for many islanders over the course of a year.  For working islanders, missing a shift of work is very costly. Take a working islander with a routine pregnancy. Of 12-14 OB visits, roughly 10 could be kept on-island, saving 10 shifts of work.  For islanders on fixed incomes, increases in access to rotating chronic care management (diabetes, pacemakers) primary care, and home care visits for elders should reduce the number of off-island emergencies (helicopter or other). Even if you have air ambulance insurance, the coinsurance for an avoidable ED visit or inpatient stay, and taxi ride back to the ferry terminal, is significant.

Finally, we as islanders need to work towards accessible and sustainable localized health care and I believe this temporary levy heads us in the right direction.

When you consider your vote this April, consider the economic benefits in addition to the healthcare benefits. This temporary levy is an investment in our island community.

Please join me in support of the Temporary Health Levy for the Orcas Island Hospital District!