— from Dr. David Shinstrom and Aaimee Johnson for Orcas Family Health Center; and Kevin Walstrom for Orcas Medical Foundation —
After reading the Opposition Statement provided in the Public Hospital District (PHD) election voters pamphlet we felt compelled to collectively set the record straight. The opposition statement posted at the SJC Elections website says:
1. Could we really lose our island doctors? No, private practice has been on island for more than 50 years. With Dr. Russell joining the medical center, patient visits are up 60% in January. Air transportation insurance is always available for doctor approved emergencies.
This statement is not true. Both of our organizations, Orcas Family Health Center and Orcas Medical Foundation, are on record stating publicly that Orcas Family Health and UW Medicine will have to close if the vote for the hospital tax district fails. (See Orcas Issues and/or Sounder articles.) Passing the public tax district is the only way we can insure primary care services for all islanders continue on the Island.
2. Our Orcas property tax burden has increased by 23-33% last year. If the PHD passes, increases will be around 43% for most property.
This statement is also not true. A transparent calculation in Madrona Voices reveals an estimate of a 9.5% increase if the maximum tax rate is levied. See Madrona Voices link and click on “How much have taxes changed over the year”. Many of the candidates have stated that the levy rate likely will be in the 55 to 60 cent range, much less than the 9.5% maximum potential increase.
3. 80-86% of Orcas islanders will not be covered by UW specialist care, if PHD is passed. If the PHD passes, we may be locked in with UW for 3 years, with its lack of Kaiser Core network specialists. UW does not cover the majority of islanders; 80% are in core network, which means Kaiser patients will not be able to utilize UW specialists. See KaiserPermanente: Routine blood draws will not be available to non-UW patients.
Another untrue statement. The clear majority of Orcas islanders will be able to see the specialist of their choice, including UW specialists. That includes Medicare, Medicaid and Commercially insured patients. If you do have a Kaiser Core insurance product your insurance plan dictates specialist referrals. This is an insurance issue, not an Orcas provider issue. If a patient sees us at Orcas Family Health Center, UW Medicine, or any other off island Doctor and has Kaiser core insurance the referral process will be the same.
Both Orcas Family Health Center and UW Medicine will be providing routine blood draws to all patients.
4. $1M was raised for UW startup and projected 2017 cost. $411,000 was paid UW. $589,000 left is double the projected need for whatever loss will be incurred for this year.
Again, this statement is not true. Orcas Medical Foundation has enough money to fund UW clinic until May of 2018. The Foundation is trying to raise additional funds that allow the UW clinic to be funded through June 30, 2018. See https://www.islandssounder.com/news/without-a-hospital-district-orcas-will-lose-uw-medicine/ and for a more detailed accounting of the use of funds raised by Orcas Medical foundation see https://www.orcasmedicalfoundation.org/.
Maintaining access to primary care on Orcas for all islanders is critical. The Orcas Family Health Center and Orcas Medical Foundation stand united in asking you to vote yes for San Juan Public tax district number 3.
We also thank you for the opportunity to set the record straight.
Please publish at all available publications.
Thank you to Dr. Shinstrom, Aaimee Johnson and Kevin Walstrom for providing us with accurate and easily accessible information. That is what each of us needs in order to decide how to vote.
I find it upsetting that the “official” opposition statement on the ballot contains false and misleading information. Availability of doctors, health care and medical insurance are all concerns basic to our island community. Democracy works best, I believe, when voters can draw their own conclusions based on accurate information.
In addition to voter pamphlet inaccuracies, the Coalition for Orcas Health Care believes that information regarding “Ten Reasons to Vote NO on the Hospital District” published in a local, March 2018 newsletter is not correct. Those 10 statements are listed below, and a COHC correction follows each:
1. Makes public tax dollars for private for-profit practices… think about that… never a good idea
COHC: The PHD is proposed to support both existing primary care practices (clinics) on our island: Orcas Family Health Center and the UW Clinic on Orcas. Neither is a private, for-profit business. OFHC is a non-profit owned by a board of responsive community members. The UW Clinic is a publicly owned entity. In fact, both clinics operate at a loss, because of the poor reimbursement rates given to rural medicine.
2. Raises property taxes 43% in two years
COHC: The number is actually 9.5% above the 2018 tax levels, when figured at the highest rate Commissioners can levy. See: https://www.madronavoices.com/phd-fact-accordion/ Click on “How much have taxes changed over the year?” Recent tax increases for 2018 were due to increased property value and spending on public education.
3. Makes housing even less affordable
COHC: For homeowners, the increased cost for the median property on Orcas would likely be approximately $250 annually or about $20 a month. That cost may be passed on to renters. It will be offset by savings from residents not needing to travel to the mainland for every primary care doctor’s visit. Think about it: the cost of a ferry ticket and a day’s lost wages added to your bill for every medical appointment or sports physical your children need.
4. May cause island families to leave
COHC: The real reason families might leave is if the PHD is NOT approved and both clinics close. Young families and elders would not have access to medical care on Orcas (especially urgent and after-hours care) when they need it.
5. Is not actually defined in any way, shape or form
COHC: This statement is untrue. PHDs are clearly defined by law in RCW 70.44. It is accurate that, by law, the Commissioners are responsible for determining (a) the levy rate, (b) who receives financial assistance for what services and (c) how much they will receive. The specifics of our island’s PHD will be based on a sound assessment of our health care needs and our priorities. It will be strongly guided by community dialogue with trustworthy commissioners elected by us.
6. Can’t compete with the best EMTs money can buy
COHC: At the OICF Providers’ Roundtable on March 29, Orcas Island Fire and Rescue (OIFR) stated that our EMTs can not fill the gap in health services without a PHD to support continued primary care. Speakers made it clear that the purpose of Emergency Medical Services is not to provide or make up for the lack of primary care (family medicine). At that meeting leaders of OIFR, UW Clinic, OMF, and OFHC stood shoulder to shoulder and publicly stated that they needed a PHD in order to continue providing health services. They committed to work together to provide an effective and efficient health care system. Nobody wants to (or can afford to) compete when our public health and safety is at stake.
7. Is only five minutes to available hospitals by air
COHC: This reasoning depends on a false sense of security. As our health professionals stated on March 29, air transport is only for emergencies (potential loss of life, limb or sight). It is used only when the patient is in grave danger. Unnecessary use of air ambulance services is not cost effective and makes aircraft unavailable to other patients, who are in critical or life-threatening condition. It places patients and crew at unnecessary risk – especially in inclement flying weather.
8. Doesn’t accept 80% of Orcas residents insurance
COHC: This reason is untrue. First, the PHD is not a hospital or medical clinic. Therefore, it does not accept insurance. The PHD is not the UW. The PHD will provide supplemental funding to family medicine clinics. Second, UW clinics have stated they accept Kaiser insurance plans and others. They will refer to a variety of specialists (both in and outside the UW system) at the patient’s request. OFHC accepts a variety of insurance. Both clinics have affordable fee arrangements for patients who cannot pay, and no one is turned away for inability to pay.
9. Keeps unpopular doctors on Orcas by subsidizing them… talk to the Lopez residents!
COHC: Popularity is a personal opinion, so you should talk with all the patients on Lopez to determine the validity of this statement. PHD Commissioner candidates have repeatedly committed to including satisfaction surveys and other measures of patient satisfaction as part of future agreements to fund our clinics. Additionally, continued funding could be based on how the clinics score based on customer service, quality of care and affordable cost.
10. May evolve into a monopoly for health care, and we all have our own ideas about what is best for healthcare on Orcas
COHC: Commissioner candidates have stated publicly that they support providing assistance to both UW and OFHC Clinics. Both clinics stated at the Providers’ Roundtable March 29 their commitment to improving coordination and collaboration to serve our community better. There is no interest in creating a monopoly on health care. Both clinics have stated that they will need to close without a PHD. In that case, we would be left with no primary or urgent care. No new providers would likely come here without some form of reliable support.
Thank you for considering a different perspective.
The individuals who authored this “opposition statement” should be ashamed of themselves. What purpose did they have in mind? What were they thinking?
As a pair of doctors considering retiring on Orcas, if we do move there can we open offices an get PHD funds? Also, what about non-physicans who provide important health care such as psychologists, chiropractors, massage therapists, etc.? Is everyone who provides care eligible for financial aid?
Thanks for the clarifications from the Health Center and Medical Foundation.
And thank you, Tom, for the very helpful supplemental input.
Thank goodness for free speech and the right to disseminate.
Though, we readers (voters) are left with the task of discerning fact from fiction and quality data from the misleading arrangement of data as well as purely false data.
The above article, Tom’s supplemental clarifications, and the law to be voted on all combined afford us a way to compare and contrast.
If you have doubts, please make the effort to c & c.
It seems to this voter at least that the “yeas” have it intellectually; hopefully, this will translate into passage at the ballot box.
The Orcas Medical Foundation’s goal was to raise $750,000 to get UW Medicine to come to the Orcas Clinic. That goal apparently was met. UW Medicine is here for sure.
Would it be possible for OMF to provide us with information on exactly how much money was raised and where that money has gone?
Having asked for this information from OMF and gotten no response, I feel we are in the dark. Is this at all transparent?
Tom,
The sources and uses of cash statement is posted to the Orcas Medical Foundation website. Click on the Hospital District tab on the left and you will see the file.
Thanks. I will have a look.
Kevin,
That clears things up. For everyone else, here are the round numbers.
Donations Raised $900,000
UW Charges $412,000
funds remaining $488,000
More Costs
Island Hospital Transition $85,000
UW to June 2018 $428,000
OMF UW Startup $15,000
Repairs $15,000
net -$55,000
OMF is short of funds to get us to June 2018. We can see just how much OMF has been carrying medical services here on Orcas. And the PHD will not be receiving tax revenues until 2019.
Probably my very favorite headline ever is “Orcas Family Health Center and Orcas Medical Foundation Stand United”. Wow! To actually see that in print is truly awesome for all of us. A great benefit. Thank you to all who made that happen. Now everyone needs to be sure to vote for approval of a Public Tax District.
Here are some examples of the cost of PHD levy to home owners:
Property Annual Tax Annual Tax
Value @ $0.60 @$0.75
$300K $180 $225
$450K $270 $337.50
$700K $420 $525
Thanks, Tom E.
About paying additional property taxes—Education & Healthcare. Both are pretty basic stuff.
Consider that many Washingtonians are likely proud (or at least happy) that they don’t pay a state income tax. Many throughout the country consider this regressive.
Further, property owners generally do not want waste when it comes to their property tax dollars. They’re right. Here, however, we’re hardly talking about a fringe experiment…it’s basic healthcare.
To put it into perspective for Wa state homeowners who pay no income tax and who might bristle at a relatively small rise in property tax related to the PHD, consider that throughout counties in most all States in the country, we have always paid not only State and Local income taxes but also funded school education via property taxes; for those without children, it may take a few extra minutes for the wisdom of this tax to sink in: whether you have children or not, you want to live in a society where children are educated to become the thoughtful adults who make society work better for all.
Much can be said for another very basic service: the availability of basic healthcare around the clock that the PHD promises to provide.
Here at least we have the added benefit of knowing Orcas Public Schools work and that they do make a very tangible difference to childrens’ lives and, therefore, to the lives of the island’s adults.
Therefore, reason would have it that we can and should expect the same quality outcome with the PHD. After all, it’s the same quality pool of island talent who will serve as commissioners.
With a balanced attitude, then, this ”can” be an opportunity where it “could” actually feel good to pay some additional tax. It’s that basic of a need.
It will certainly be quid pro quo; but, more than that, it will make a “critical” difference in the lives of residents as to a need so fundamental as life and death.
After reviewing the facts and doing your own due diligence as a property owner, you’ll hopefully discover that the numbers do add up to a vote in favor of the PHD.
Curious as to how the clinic will continue to operate if it is only funded through June 2018 ?
Will they have to borrow money ? and pay it back from the tax district funds ?
Pierrette…At the second town hall, the representative from Lopez described their experience in a similar situation. They borrowed the money to bridge the gap until tax money could start flowing. That loan is to be repaid out of future tax revenue supporting their PHD. Personally, I don’t see another alternative for us and we are likely to take the same approach.
So If we are looking right now to spending close to a million dollar to just run the clinic, plus around $350,000.
For Dr Shinstrom medical facility. This means that they need to go for the maximum levy which would bring in around $1,600,000.
Pierrette: The Coalition has made an estimate of what the annual cost would be under the assumptions of paying off a loan in addition to subsidizing both clinics. The details can be found at: https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/ac5823_b9ca9be02b8b484cbc14190fd06083dd.pdf and their conclusion was a tax rate of 55 to 60 cents (or less than 1.28 million). I think it could/should be less than this but that is a different story.