NoHLA is a founding leader of Fair Health Prices WA, a statewide movement to address the root causes of the health care affordability crisis that is pricing Washington families and businesses out of health care. In the 2023 session, we won legislative direction for a joint study by the Insurance Commission and Attorney General of the big business of health care that is changing our health care landscape. The consumer and business groups are calling on lawmakers to use the results from two preliminary reports released last week by the Washington Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) to ratchet down health care costs. The organizations highlighted the unmanageable cost of health care to both consumers and employers and the policy solutions that can:

• increase transparency and accountability through the Health Care Cost Transparency Board (HB 1508);
• improve oversight of health care mergers with Keep Our Care Act (SB 5241); 
• limit unfair provider price negotiations (SB 5393); and 
• end unreasonable billing practices for ground ambulance services (TBD). 

See our press coverage in The Seattle Times and Public News Network, responding to the reports. Read the latest issue brief on why health care prices are so high in Washington and this brief on how those prices affect Washingtonians.

Washington residents say they are ready for change; 4 out of 5 recently surveyed are worried about affording health care and 87% said the government needs to strengthen policies to drive competition and improve quality and access. Representative Nicole Macri (D, 43rd), a legislator who’s been working on the issue of health care affordability solutions says, “This is a complicated issue that’s going to need multi-pronged solutions, but Washingtonians need the legislature to act.” A second phase of the study is expected in August 2024.