The Seattle area may close two of its 10 main public health centers to balance ballooning health-care costs and the burden of uninsured residents.

The potential cuts are reminiscent of recent restructuring of the healthcare system in British Columbia, which resulted in public hospital closures and curtailed services.

Seattle’s cuts threaten to erode the public safety net while shifting costs to the emergency rooms where patients may end up. It’s not clear the moves would do anything to rein in soaring costs overall or make the region healthier. Similarly, British Columbia’s attempts to manage rising costs helped undermine the public-health system and stimulate the growth of private health care. Was the trade-off worth it?