Oregon Public Broadcasting

Washington Governor Chris Gregoire and fellow Democrats are urging Congress to move forward with a health care overhaul.

Gregoire said Monday the loss of Ted Kennedy's Senate seat to Republicans should not derail the efforts in Washington, D.C.. The governor made her comments flanked by Washington's Insurance Commissioner and state lawmakers.

Chris Gregoire: "We stand united that we can't turn our backs on health care reform in this country. As a state government I can't when one-third of our budget and growing is going to health care."

Gregoire says the stakes are especially high for Washington state. She's asking for permission to use federal dollars to help fund the Basic Health Plan.

Also, the governor says Medicare reimbursement formulas must be changed. Currently, Washington is penalized for providing lower-cost health care than other states.

Those are elements that would likely be included in any Congressional health care overhaul.