Continued funding of health insurance for people on Disability LifeLine is crucial for the citizens of Washington state. This safety net program is designed to protect the most vulnerable members of our community who have no other means of acquiring health insurance.

The elimination of medical coverage from this program recently proposed by the state Senate would be a direct blow to our communities, our hospitals, our tax payers and hundreds if not thousands of individuals living in and around Bellevue.

Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS), including myself, and other disabling conditions rely on this program for their health care and we can’t see it cut. The average yearly cost of someone living with MS is $69,000. This number will increase if people are uninsured and lack preventative care that can slow the progression of the disease.

Choosing to cut medical insurance from these programs will severely burden the people of Washington state now and future generations later.

I urge Sen. Rodney Tom to vote in favor of keeping this program intact by not cutting the medical benefits as it is detrimental to our future generations, and is a very temporary and ineffective means of closing the budget gap.

Veronica Chase, Medina