(Photo by The Good Brigade/Getty Images)
People expect their doctors to give them vaccines, medications, or surgeries, but what do you prescribe when someone’s health problem is poverty?
In my 34 years as a pediatrician, many parents have told me: “You can’t help me with some of the problems that I have.” Many are single parents working two or three jobs to raise multiple children. How can I tell someone to buy more nutritious food when they already don’t eat so their children can?
As a clinician, it can be hard to talk to families about money, but people need access to tangible resources. For me, solutions like tax credits that put money directly into people’s hands make good sense. As tax day approaches, some of my patients will soon get a few thousand dollars back from the federal Earned Income Tax Credit and Washington’s Working Families Tax Credit. These resources make a big difference in people’s lives, and there is more that Washington state can do to help families that we see every day in our clinics and hospitals.
People in my field know that the Pacific Northwest has been a leader in public health. However, our tax code structure is incongruous with how progressive we have been in health policy. In Washington, people with the lowest incomes pay about three times more of their incomes in state taxes than the wealthiest do. This leaves families struggling to afford the basics and our public services chronically underfunded.
Not only are tax credits one of the most important ways of righting our inequitable tax system, but they are also one of the most effective ways to help working people address their social needs. Unlike more conditional forms of aid, people have control over this money and can use it as they see fit — on groceries, rent, or book supplies for their children. More cash in people’s pockets means better health outcomes, better educational outcomes for children and teens, better maternal health outcomes, and less chronic illnesses down the line.
So as families are doing their taxes, lawmakers in Olympia could consider ways to improve our state Working Families Tax Credit. They could raise the payment amounts, especially for single filers. They could switch to simpler or even automated payments, as only about half of families receive the money they are eligible for. And they could expand eligibility so that more people across the state can get cash back.
One proposed expansion would remove the age restriction that leaves out 100,000 young adults and seniors who live in poverty. Under the current rules, people without children must be 25 to 65 years old to claim their tax credit.
There’s a misconception among many well-to-do and educated people that young people rely on their families for support. However, one in 10 young adults experiences homelessness each year, and young adults face some of the highest rates of poverty in the US.
On the other side of the age spectrum, one in 10 of our seniors lives in poverty. That’s shameful for our country, the wealthiest in the world. A lot of grandparents who come through my office have stepped in to care for their grandchildren. The children are being raised by a grandparent who is often tired and may be dealing with their own health problems. Having already been through a lifetime of sacrifices, they often can’t afford the pair of soccer cleats or the after-school program that would help their grandchildren follow their dreams and build social skills.
If people are struggling to make ends meet day to day, they will have a hard time focusing on education, employment, and health. By expanding successful programs like the Working Families Tax Credit and raising progressive revenue, we can help people rise out of poverty. Poverty is not a fixed condition — it can be a temporary setback that we help people get through. With just a little effort, we can bridge the gap for our friends and neighbors.
This post was originally authored and published by Dr. Esther K. Chung from Washington State Standard via RSS Feed. Join today to get your news feed on Nationwide Report®.
