Submitted by Okanogan Health Care Planning Group
Voters are being asked to approve a $48 million bond proposal by Three Rivers Hospital that will increase property taxes for 30 years. Hospital district voters deserve solid information to use in making such a big decision. We think the smart way would be to gather data first on what health services are needed in our communities before any more money is spent.
A county-wide study would confirm who is currently providing health services, what services are being delivered, the types of services local patients are being referred for outside of the county, and where they are being sent. Good information should come before spending the money.
Three Rivers Hospital is struggling with the same forces that other rural hospitals are confronting. There is less money coming in as people struggle to afford health insurance and reductions are made to Medicaid. An analysis by the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform (CHQPR) warns that 720 rural hospitals — representing roughly one-third of all rural facilities nationwide — are at risk of shutting down due to severe financial distress.
So, what happens if this $48 million bond proposal is approved and the hospital fails? Voters will still be required to pay increased property taxes to service the bonds for 30 years, and we won’t have the healthcare services. How much could the $48 million bond proposal cost residents? A home valued at $400,000 would see an increase of $292 in property taxes each year — $8,760 over the next 30 years. A home valued at $900,000 would see an increase of $657 in property taxes per year — $19,710 over the next 30 years. These costs will translate into higher housing costs for all property — owned, leased, or rented.
What happens when others ask for bonds such as our fire district, our school district or our county? Many important but competing needs will create tough decisions.
We encourage you to vote no on the Three Rivers Hospital $48 million bond. Let good information guide our decisions on how best to spend public money on building the health care infrastructure and services we need.
Authors Roy Farrell, MD, Winthrop; Joan Wellman, Winthrop; Pat Leigh, Winthrop; and Laura Brumfield, retired ARNP, Winthrop are members of The Okanogan Health Care Planning Group, an information organization that formed before the 2025 Three Rivers Hospital bond issue proposal.
