WATSONVILLE — If a group of Watsonville healthcare workers has its way, voters will approve a ballot initiative that would limit the amount that Watsonville Community Hospital (WCH) can charge its patients.
WCH surgical tech Chris Gil turned in the Watsonville Accountable and Affordable Health Care Initiative to City Clerk Beatriz Flores on Tuesday morning.
He was accompanied by city council members, nurses and supporters from Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West.
According to Gil, WCH charges about 40 percent more than Dominican Hospital does for procedures.
This means that patients in Watsonville pay about $45,000 for a routine baby delivery, compared to a little more than $27,000 at Dominican.
Treatment for a kidney infection at WCH costs more than $80,000, and about $54,000 at Dominican, Gil said.
“That’s a ridiculous amount of money to charge a community that works so hard,” he said.
Gil pointed out that all hospital’s profits go to Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health, which owns Watsonville Community Hospital.
Organizers must now collect the signatures of 1,782 registered Watsonville voters to qualify the measure for the Nov. 6, 2018 election.
If voters approve it, WCH would not be able to charge more than 15 percent over what is considered the “reasonable cost of direct patient care.”
The eight-page initiative defines “reasonable” as the costs directly associated with operating a medical facility, and providing care to patients.
The rules would require the hospital to refund patients who are charged over that amount.
In addition, the hospital would be required to keep track of all its patient charges, and to report those charges to the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
The rules would also stack a 5 percent fine on the rebates that are owed to 50 or fewer people, and 10 percent if owed to more than 50.
Gil said the initiative will help “rein in” costs at the hospital and give families easier access to affordable care.
“As a community we are putting safeguards in place to limit what they can charge,” he said. “No one should have to think twice about going to their local hospital just because it costs more than the facility down the road.”
Watsonville Mayor Oscar Rios said the proposed rules are timely, as Republican and Democrat lawmakers in Washington battle for their versions of a national healthcare law.
“Healthcare has become a big issue,” he said. (These costs) show us how out of whack we are.”
Watsonville City Councilwoman Rebecca Garcia said that providing affordable healthcare is a responsibility for governments, and praised the efforts of the organizers.
“This is an initiative that is from the people,” she said. “This is the people saying, ‘we are not going to sit back and accept this.’”
In a prepared statement, Watsonville Community Hospital spokeswoman Cindy Weigelt said the hospital is “profoundly disappointed” by the initiative.
“This action is simply a labor negotiation tactic designed to incite negative opinion of our facility in an effort to manipulate on-going labor negotiations in the union’s favor,” the statement read.
The statement also suggested that the “true catalyst” for the ballot initiative is a new policy that employees represented by SEIU contribute $50 per month to their health insurance premiums.
Weigelt said that WCH is a safety net hospital, and that 50 percent of patients are covered by are covered by Medi-Cal.
She added that WCH is paid pre-negotiated rates set by the state of California for Medi-Cal and other insurance providers.
“We are disappointed in the union’s approach and regret the distraction this may cause,” the statement read.
