At Solid Ground, we believe in supporting people who are trapped within oppressive systems at the same time that we work to dismantle those systems. And so does Larry Cole.

Larry is one of our most prodigious Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) volunteers, sharing his time and skills to help others understand the complex world of Medicare and choose the best options for their individual situations. And when he’s not leading a presentation on Medicare or training new volunteers, Larry stays busy advocating for a more just public health care system that leaves no one behind

Since May is Older Americans Month, we recently sat down with Larry to ask why he’s so passionate about health care, how we can make it better, and what we can do to support his advocacy. 

Solid Ground (SG): First, tell us a little about Larry. What’s your story? 

Larry Cole (LC): I am a retired mental health counselor, which I practiced for 10 years following a 29-year career at Boeing in manufacturing, engineering, and business systems/artificial intelligence. My interest in SHIBA came from a different source: My mother was a Medicare Manager in Clallam County for many years, and after she retired, she volunteered for SHIBA for several years. She died before I turned Medicare age, but I naturally turned to SHIBA for resources and advice. I’ve been here ever since! 

SG: You put an incredible amount of time and effort into teaching others about Medicare through SHIBA. Why? What makes you passionate about this work?  

LC: As a retired community mental health counselor, with a focus on older adults and the disabled, I worked with many people with cognitive deficits. I heard many stories of struggles to understand institutional policies and saw the pain and frustration in many faces. It took me a while to understand my Medicare choices, and I had SHIBA help. (Some of my comrades may say I am cognitively challenged, but not so!!!) The thought of their struggles in gaining the health insurance coverage they needed to even begin addressing their problems kept me coming back. I wanted to try to make things simple for people who didn’t have family to help them cope.  

SG: We’ve often heard you talk about “(un)health(y) insurance.” What does that mean to you?  

LC: Unhealthy insurance is: 

• Insurance that has premiums so high, or copays so large, that people forego other basic needs to pay for it. After all, isn’t the purpose of health insurance to prevent bankruptcy? 

• Insurance policies that are so complex to understand and compare, they lead individuals to maintain the same policy over the years despite changes in their health needs or the terms of the policy.  

• Insurance that, in pursuit of profit, draws down the Medicare Trust Fund to the point of near insolvency.  

SG: What changes do you want to see in health care generally and Medicare in particular? 

LC: I would like to see a Medicare for All program, supported by a government agency (either state or federal) that has several benefits and services, with wide acceptance by several health care providers. The program could be like a Medicare Supplemental Policy (Medigap), including drug coverage, with extra benefits like those in a Medicare Advantage plan (dental, vision, hearing, alternative medicine, and mental health counseling.) There have been several local bills proposing such a system. The best-known national bills were those sponsored by Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA) and Senator Bernie Sanders (VT).  

SG: What else is being done to address the issues you identified? Are there any legislative or policy changes you support? 

LC: There are a number of bills in the Washington state legislature that are still in play: SB 5568, HB 1686, SB 5083, SJM 8002, SJM 8004. 

SG: How can people get involved if they share your vision for health care? 

LC: I am a member of Health Care is a Human Right Washington, a “grassroots community-labor campaign” that is “made up of supporting organizations.” At most recent count, more than 50 organizations are members. You can sign up for their newsletter by going to our Get Involved page. The newsletter is emailed two or three times a month, especially during the legislative session, notifying recipients of bills to support, webinars/meetings to attend, and rallies. The advantage of connecting with HCHR is that you will have access to multiple group activities, with information to connect with many of these groups. I can also help you sign up for the newsletter (I help publish the newsletter and maintain the mailing list).  

Interested in learning more or getting involved? Contact Larry at larrycshiba@solid-ground.org. 

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Image at top: Larry leads a “Welcome to Medicare” presentation (photo by Rachael Green).