Tri-Cities, Spokane or??? (Seattle, Kennewick, Richland: transporting, health insurance, homes)

[localinsight]

I am considering Eastern Washington for relocation and may bring out my mother, who is now in a nursing home. I am interested in

weather - I read that the tri-cities area is a desert, what do you expect, etc.
I am looking for a desert areas. Also considering Reno, Albuquerque, I loved the low humidity in Reno! How about not necessarily rain/snow fall but the inversion layer people talk about. Are there areas in E. WA without major inversion/fog? I find fog very damp and I think my mother would find it bone chilling.
Currently I live in MN and was really surprised to find out how many days the clouds are so thick and/or we are socked in by constant fog. Even if the sun breaks through for a couple of hours, then it's right back heavy clouds overnight. I would rather rain! (Not like Seattle, though)

Cost - Glad to see, finally, a less humid area is more affordable - How about in areas that are not socked in by clouds?

Healthcare - my mom isn't getting the best care and for sure she has arthritis (probably one of rarer forms) and severe COPD. I have had lots of problems getting doctors who will work with me to diagnose an autoimmune problem. Things finally turned around when I went to doctors in private practice. You can't get a diag. for insidious, chronic problems just with a consult to a fancy place. You have to be well enough to travel, which gets $ after a while. In a TC thread someone mentioned going to Spokane for a rheumatologist. Is Spokane the only place where there are lots of specialists in E. WA? This is a definate consideration - I would be responsible transporting both of us. Any help here is appreciated.

I heard that WA, which used to have really great healthcare for people like my mother & I has changed. With this war on drugs things patients are left untreated... Anyone hear of this in WA?

Day to Day Expenses I have heard different things about WA being less expensive to live, but then read about it costing $2 for 1/2 gallon of milk - should I really widen my considerations to include differences in food? Now I have little access to discount shopping which has cost me quite a bit of $ over time.

I would like to take courses at a community college - perhaps law, writing Any ideas, in the Walla Walla thread it sounded like there could be lots of opportunities? How about local writers groups, things like that?

Thanks, in advance for your suggestions.

[arianiah]

Okay well i will give my opinion since it seems no one else has yet. The tri-cities area is great- i lived just outside this area growing up and so i know some things have changed since then but I still think that you will get more for your money there. As for cost being more expensive in washington-it's only on the west side of the state, the east side is far less expensive than seattle. They have a Winco there, very affordable grocery store with a great variety of things. For Health insurance my parents swear that it is the best state to live in for health coverage because it is much more affordable-which is the truth, at least compared to Idaho. Most people do go to spokane when referred to specialists. My mother has a specialist-my grandmother has had breast cancer and bone cancer and there was a specialist for that in the tri-cities area too. You just need to look around. There is a community college in Pasco-Columbia Basin Community college with a WSU campus site. You really don't get smog in the tri-cities but fog-which is different-but it's only occasionally not all of the time. I hope this helps. Ofcourse I am a little biased. As for nursing homes-I would stay close to Kennewick/Richland-don't go to any in pasco.

[localinsight]

Dear Ariania,
Thanks for your response to my post about the Tri-Cities area. It is difficult guage this type of info (such as medical specialists) in different areas. Yet, it is one of those things that are important. I read in the CO forum that many people who retire in Western Co end up moving East of the mountains if they need medical care on a regular basis. Not the situation for everyone, but important if it is a personal concern.

The Tri-Cities area seems like it is a place to call home without worring about being priced out in the next five years. I had friends that moved to Idaho and found it really expensive as well. This will probably get better as more people move there.