COVID-19

Nearly one out of every ten Americans lacks access to health insurance and one in five Americans is “underinsured,” paying more than 10 percent of their income to cover their health costs. And now, with unemployment rates projected to reach 30 percent in the coming months, people are losing their job-based health coverage in droves – right in the middle of a global pandemic. Lawmakers need to implement solutions so that everyone can get the care they need in this crisis.

They also need to protect the future. Washington policymakers must not repeat the mistakes of earlier recessions, including the Great Recession. We still have not fully recovered from the state budget passed in 2010, which, anticipating the stoppage of federal stimulus funding, eviscerated early learning, public health, higher education, mental health, state parks, and income support for low-income people.