‘Their Crisis’ Is ‘Our Problem’: Washington Grapples With Idaho Covid Cases (Seattle: insurance, homes)

[CrazyDonkey]

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/13/u...ton-idaho.html

On the Washington side of the border, residents must wear masks when gathering indoors, students who are exposed to Covid face quarantine requirements, and many workers are under vaccination orders. On the Idaho side, none of those precautions are in place.

“It’s ridiculous,” said Cassie Sauer, the president of the Washington State Hospital Association. “If you have your health care system melting down, the idea that you would not immediately issue a mask mandate is just bizarre. They need to be doing everything they can possibly do.”

But Washington is in better shape than Idaho, where hospitalizations as a share of the population are 45 percent higher.

“We certainly need our friends in Idaho government to do more to preserve their citizens’ health, because we know that their crisis is becoming our problem,” Washington’s Democratic governor, Jay Inslee, said last week. “I’m asking the people of Idaho to adopt some of the safety measures — like masking requirements — like we have in Washington so we can help both of our states reduce this horrible pandemic.

”In Idaho, Gov. Brad Little’s office said he was not available for an interview, but he has indicated in recent weeks that he has no plans to restore virus restrictions, even if hospitals entered dangerous territory, saying that he wanted residents “to choose to do the right thing and get vaccinated.”

Hospitals are generally obligated under federal law to accept transfer requests when there is space to care for them. For cases in closer proximity, officials said, patients may drive themselves across state lines to hospitals where they believe they can get more immediate care, and hospitals must care for those who show up at their door. For patients without insurance, the hospitals may end providing the care for free.

The state of Washington should not have to spend ONE PENNY to treat Idaho's Covid-19 patients.

[homesinseattle]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/13/u...ton-idaho.html







The state of Washington should not have to spend ONE PENNY to treat Idaho's Covid-19 patients.

This makes me furious and I totally agree with you, Donkey.

[Swoods15]

So interesting how these people who didn't trust the medical establishment and doctors advice enough to get vaccinated, are now willing to put themselves in the hands of the establishment when their life is actually on the line.

It's like the vaccine resistance was never about the medical issues in the first place...

This is a prime example of why getting a vaccine in a global pandemic is not just a private personal choice, but a public health issue that everyone has a stake in.

You or a relative or loved one could get in a car accident tomorrow - these sorts of choices will affect the care you can get. They matter.

[509]

Originally Posted by Swoods15

So interesting how these people who didn't trust the medical establishment and doctors advice enough to get vaccinated, are now willing to put themselves in the hands of the establishment when their life is actually on the line.

It's like the vaccine resistance was never about the medical issues in the first place...

This is a prime example of why getting a vaccine in a global pandemic is not just a private personal choice, but a public health issue that everyone has a stake in.

You or a relative or loved one could get in a car accident tomorrow - these sorts of choices will affect the care you can get. They matter.

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

This makes me furious and I totally agree with you, Donkey.

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/13/u...ton-idaho.html

The state of Washington should not have to spend ONE PENNY to treat Idaho's Covid-19 patients.

Hmmm, outrage from western Washington residents because Idaho residents seek treatment in eastern Washington.

Only two things work to stop the spread of a pandemic: vaccine and quarantine.

Remember back when the pandemic started in western Washington? Even Jay Inslee issued a order to limit travel to ESSENTIAL TRAVEL ONLY. So did the Governors of Oregon and Idaho. Western Washington residents REFUSED to restrict travel to essential travel only and the virus spread into eastern Washington and Idaho.

Yep, it was a rich western Washington resident that thought he was special so went to Sun Valley for skiing and broke THREE essential travel orders so he could ski and spread the virus in Idaho.

The Counties surrounding King and Snohomish begged Governor Inslee to ENFORCE his own orders, but he refused. I even called to complain and talked to one of his staffers for 45 minutes. Nope, the Governor was NOT going to enforce his own orders, and he was making sure the WADOT opened the North Cascades Highway early so the infection could spread in Okanogan County.

I remember western Washington residents on this and other forums that they were NOT going to follow the essential travel orders. I even asked, people from western Washington when they were over here "what part of ESSENTIAL TRAVEL do you NOT UNDERSTAND?? Fishing, skiing, visiting their second homes, those were ALL CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL TRAVEL by western Washington residents!!!!

People in Idaho, Montana, and eastern Washington were pretty mad that western Washington residents didn't care if they spread the virus to their neighbors.

It is great to be virtuous, it is even better when you have a limited memory of recent events.

[509]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/13/u...ton-idaho.html

The state of Washington should not have to spend ONE PENNY to treat Idaho's Covid-19 patients.

I doubt that the state of Washington is spending even ONE PENNY to treat Idaho's Covid-19 patients. I am pretty sure that the state of Washington in direct spending on health care is Spokane in minimal.

Remember the state of Washington has opposed all attempts to improve health care facilities in Spokane. They opposed the initial heart center, the nurses school, the medical school in Spokane, etc. etc.

All of those facilities were built over the initial objections basically western Washington residents and their elected officials.

However, the Governors of Idaho, Montana, Oregon and the Premiers of British Columbia and Alberta ALL supported expanding and improving health services in Spokane.

I think the people of Idaho and the state government of Idaho pay more to support medical services in Spokane than the state of Washington.

Spokane is the main medical center for all of Montana, Idaho, north of the Salmon River, and the northeast corner of Oregon. The southeast corner of BC and a large proportion of Alberta.

Given the opposition of improving medical services from western Washington residents, WHY DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to limit medical services to the Spokane neighbors?? You also don't pay for those medical facilities.

Look I lived in Idaho and moved to eastern Washington. I like most folks east of the divide, consider Idaho, Montana, BC, and Alberta as my home territory and those folks are my neighbors and friends.

Yeah, I don't mind paying for their care in this situation.

They were there when the Spokane medical community needed their support to overcome the efforts of the state of Washington to limit health care in Spokane.

[TheTimidBlueBars]

Ideally, we'd have socialized medicine and the nation would be paying for the care of those who need it.

I'm not trying to support kids so maybe I don't have the most typical perspective on money, but I don't mind if my tax dollars are used to save someone's life just because they're not from my state.

It is true that Idaho as a whole has been irresponsible during the pandemic. In most of the businesses I've been inside in Boise and Coeur d'Alene --- including before the vaccines came out --- even the employees weren't wearing masks. But nowhere is doing a super great job, I see plenty of maskless people in Seattle. The U District is probably the worst place I've seen anywhere for this.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by TheTimidBlueBars

Ideally, we'd have socialized medicine and the nation would be paying for the care of those who need it.

I'm not trying to support kids so maybe I don't have the most typical perspective on money, but I don't mind if my tax dollars are used to save someone's life just because they're not from my state.

....

The USA society and medical system's response to Covid is an excellent example of why the USA could not sustain Socialized healthcare.

Having been uninsured for years after ACA removed our 'affordable' options... I can certainly see the need, but now have seen the incompetence, polarity and selfishness. (And lack of education / medical truth).

We are a very vulnerable society.

WA STATE coffers will not be subsidizing health care to Idaho residents, but crowded services are evident USA wide. We... WA are fortunate for the moment, but many WA border regions also daily utilize services across state lines.

[Transmition]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

The USA society and medical system's response to Covid is an excellent example of why the USA could not sustain Socialized healthcare.

I think it proves the exact opposite. Wildly different responses, states competing over supplies, every authority having to spend money to come up with their own solutions, a federal response that directed everything to where it was needed most would have performed so much better and cost less money while clamping down on the spread. Of course, you'd need it to be managed by competent qualified people rather than political cronies.

[MechAndy]

I’m one of the few fiscal conservatives that believes in healthcare and education.

The poor people already have it.
The rich don’t need it.
The working class should not lose their homes because of medical bills.

[Swoods15]

Originally Posted by 509

Hmmm, outrage from western Washington residents because Idaho residents seek treatment in eastern Washington.

Only two things work to stop the spread of a pandemic: vaccine and quarantine.

Remember back when the pandemic started in western Washington? Even Jay Inslee issued a order to limit travel to ESSENTIAL TRAVEL ONLY. So did the Governors of Oregon and Idaho. Western Washington residents REFUSED to restrict travel to essential travel only and the virus spread into eastern Washington and Idaho.

Yep, it was a rich western Washington resident that thought he was special so went to Sun Valley for skiing and broke THREE essential travel orders so he could ski and spread the virus in Idaho.

The Counties surrounding King and Snohomish begged Governor Inslee to ENFORCE his own orders, but he refused. I even called to complain and talked to one of his staffers for 45 minutes. Nope, the Governor was NOT going to enforce his own orders, and he was making sure the WADOT opened the North Cascades Highway early so the infection could spread in Okanogan County.

I remember western Washington residents on this and other forums that they were NOT going to follow the essential travel orders. I even asked, people from western Washington when they were over here "what part of ESSENTIAL TRAVEL do you NOT UNDERSTAND?? Fishing, skiing, visiting their second homes, those were ALL CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL TRAVEL by western Washington residents!!!!

People in Idaho, Montana, and eastern Washington were pretty mad that western Washington residents didn't care if they spread the virus to their neighbors.

It is great to be virtuous, it is even better when you have a limited memory of recent events.

LOL, I'm neither rich, nor a skiier, nor did I travel to eastern WA or anywhere else really. I agreed with the need to impose restrictions to essential travel only - I live on the rural Olympic Peninsula so we had pretty much the same issue with people from urban areas around the Sound traveling here to "escape" COVID.

Nice try at a gotcha though!