Levy Lid Lift FAQ
Thank you to everyone in our community that participated in the Aug. 5 election. EvergreenHealth is so proud that our community has voted to approve our Levy Lid Lift measure, which appeared as Proposition 1 on the ballot. We've prepared additional frequently asked questions to help you understand the Levy Lid Lift and what the increased funding will go toward.
FAQ
What will additional levy funds be spent on?
Our priorities for the Levy Lid Lift include:
- Expanding Access: We are committed to increasing access to EvergreenHealth's award-winning, nationally recognized care. This means increasing and improving services that support our OB patients, centralizing services for our GI and cardiac patients and expanding behavioral health care. Additionally, we plan to purchase more imaging equipment for the EvergreenHealth Emergency Department to improve wait times.
- Investing In Our Future: Approving the Levy Lid Lift provides funds that will help EvergreenHealth hire more staff and physicians as well as expand and modernize our procedural rooms, OB suites and many of our important services. This ensures we can preserve essential services and meet your needs today and the needs of our Eastside community for the next generations.
- Supporting Our Community: EvergreenHealth goes beyond our hospital and clinics. We provide funding for numerous community resources and programs, including behavioral health support for youth and wellness programs for seniors. If passed, the Levy Lid Lift will help us continue to support these community resources and programs.
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What are the community's needs?
- Capacity Concerns: For much of 2023, EvergreenHealth's Kirkland campus was above the optimal occupancy rate 100% of the time. The Levy Lid Lift would help EvergreenHealth hire additional providers. More providers will help us deliver more inpatient and preventative care to more patients, which will ease capacity concerns by treating patients more quickly and keeping patients healthier so they don’t require extended stays in the hospital.
- Emergency Readiness: Patient access to healthcare in our region is challenging today and will increasingly constrict. In addition to being able to provide enough typical acute care, the Eastside must be ready for another pandemic, earthquake or other mass casualty event. The Levy Lid Lift will also help us invest in facility improvements that will enhance patient care as well as our infrastructure necessary to support a community through emergencies.
- Demand for Behavioral Health Services: More members of our community are seeking behavioral health services. EvergreenHealth is already working to meet those needs with our pilot Behavioral Health practice in Canyon Park, which we plan to expand with additional funds from the Levy Lid Lift.
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Why is EvergreenHealth going out for this levy?
The levy was first approved by voters in 1972. Since then, the costs for supplies, services, and materials required to operate healthcare facilities have increased, particularly in the last few years. Although costs have increased, the levy has not increased, creating a funding gap.
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How much have hospital costs increased?
Hospital costs have continued to rise across the health care industry, forcing some in the region to make the difficult choice to close services. This rise in cost has mostly been due to equipment and labor expense increases. From 2021 to 2023, EvergreenHealth's expenses due to supplies, services, and operating expenses (excluding salaries and benefits to staff) rose from $236 million to more than $273, an increase of $37 million. Proposition 1 will help fund these maintenance and operating needs.
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What has been funded in the past with levy funds?
EvergreenHealth devotes a large portion of levy dollars every year to offering a broad range of free and low-cost community programs and classes. Additional levy funds would help us continue to support these community programs and resources, including:
- Supporting Students in Crisis: We provide social workers in Lake Washington School District high schools who help assess students with high-risk behaviors and behavioral health concerns. In the 2023-2024 school year, our therapists served 1,446 students and held 2,961 total visits.
- Youth Mental Health: We provide behavioral health experts to deliver free training for educators, coaches and others to support teens in crisis.
- STEM Global Health Education Partnership: Our collaboration with local school districts gives students the opportunity to learn about global health initiatives through job shadowing and hearing from guest speakers.
- Community Healthcare Access Team (CHAT): Our CHAT team is a personal service that connects community members to vital healthcare resources.
- Northshore Senior Center: Funds allow EvergreenHealth to provide health and wellness programs to older adults in the local community through the Northshore Senior Center and the Adult Day Health Center.
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Will these additional funds be used to further increase administrative salaries?
Levy funds will not be used to increase salaries for administrators. Taxpayer funds will be used only for health system operations and infrastructure and to expand clinical services.
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How much money will be generated each year with this rate increase?
The total amount received in 2026 will be approximately $76.9M. In subsequent years the adjustments will be dependent on property values but will be limited to no more than an increase of 1% per year. This limit was put in place by Initiative 747, which passed in 2001, and limits the total amount taxing jurisdictions can receive as property values increase. More information about this can be found at the Municipal Research and Services Center's website.
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Questions?
If you have a question regarding the Levy Lid Lift that is not addressed above, please email us at grplevylidliftquestions@evergreenhealthcare.org.
