People who buy their own health insurance in Washington are facing another sharp premium increase just as state officials warn that hundreds of thousands of people could lose Medicaid coverage under new federal rules. Jim Freeburg, executive director of the Patient Coalition of Washington and co-founder at Fair Health Prices WA, said the consecutive double-digit increases are putting insurance out of reach for many families.

Freeburg said there are many approaches policy makers could take to hold down costs. One measure would be to lower the interest rate on medical debt to make it less burdensome on people while at the same time giving more scrutiny to consolidations and mergers within the health care industry. We could also be investing more in primary care to make sure people have access to a cheaper service that is not in the ER or urgent care.

Washingtonians who buy their own insurance have been hit by big back-to-back rate hikes over the past few years. Next year’s jump will mark the highest increase in almost a decade. “We have unrestrained health costs that are driving an affordability crisis,” said Emily Brice, co-executive director of advocacy for Northwest Health Law Advocates and co-founder of Fair Health Prices Washington. “This is truly staggering at this point.”

Brice is worried about people who may be forced to make difficult choices, such as having to choose between health insurance and other necessities like housing or food — a dynamic she referred to as “survival math.”

Health insurance rates will rise an average of 22.2% starting Jan. 1, Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer announced Wednesday. The rates are used to determine monthly premiums. This comes after thousands dropped coverage due to the expiration of federal tax credits, the debate over which led to a lengthy government shutdown last fall. Jim Freeburg, executive director of the Patient Coalition of Washington and co-founder of the Fair Health Prices Washington coalition, said the increases will have “real consequences for the Washington families and small businesses that purchase their coverage through the Exchange. It’s going to cost my wife and I over $36,000 to cover ourselves and our two girls, and that’s simply unfair for the coverage we’d get.”

Millions of Americans who buy their own health insurance are facing another year of rising health costs. Georgia and Washington are already seeing some of the nation’s largest proposed increases. In WA, insurance companies have requested average premium hikes of more than 22% for 2027, shared Emily Brice, Fair Health Prices Washington co-founder and co-executive director of Northwest Health Law Advocates. Further, she shared, “If those rates are approved, the average silver plan for next year will cost $970 a month. How is any family supposed to afford that? The folks that I’m talking to every day are doing survival math. They’re forced to choose between affording their health coverage and other basic needs like food and rent.”

On August 4, 2026, Families USA hosted a virtual press call with consumer advocates from key states, including Washington. Speakers included Fair Health Prices WA co-founder, Emily Brice, who is also co-executive director at Northwest Health Law Advocates. The call spotlighted the rate increases likely to impact 2027 shoppers buying health insurance from the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Washington state has the highest proposed premium rate increase thus far, averaging 22.4% for individual plans. If approved, 2027 would be the third year in a row that Washington consumers would face double-digit increases to health insurance costs.

A new health tracking poll was designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at KFF. The survey was conducted June 25 – June 30, 2026, online and by telephone among a nationally representative sample of 1,321 U.S. adults in English and Spanish. As the 2026 midterm elections approach, health care costs remain the public’s top economic worry, and rank among the top health issues voters most want to hear candidates discuss this election cycle. majority of voters believe there is at least some fraud in government health programs and most say that addressing fraud would lead to reductions in federal spending overall, though fewer say it would lead to reductions in their own health care costs.

Legislators in at least six states this year have approved measures related to patient medical debt, according to a report on legislative policy trends released Wednesday by United States of Care, a nonpartisan think tank and Fair Health Prices coalition partner.

Many Americans are struggling to afford healthcare. A recent survey found that 46% of adults, regardless of their health care insurance status, reported struggling to pay for medical care last year. Under Washington’s new law, unpaid medical bills can’t be assigned to a debt collector for at least 120 days after the first billing statement in situations where the patient is a pedestrian or bicyclist who has been struck by a motor vehicle.

The Seattle Times reports on Washington Health Benefit Exchange’s 2026 enrollment report, which shows an unprecedented decline described as “a potential reversal of once-promising trends.” Monthly premiums spiked for many Washingtonians this year, and thousands have faced the difficult decision to forego coverage. Sam Hatzenbeler, of Fair Health Prices Washington and the Economic Opportunity Institute, asserts, “This is a crisis. Health is fundamental. Without coverage, people get sicker, lose work, lose housing, and lose hope.”

Declining health coverage should alarm everyone in Washington state, consumer health advocates warn. A new report from the Washington Health Benefit Exchange (WAHBE) reveals that nearly 40,000 fewer Washingtonians have coverage through Washington Healthplanfinder in 2026 compared to last year – a whopping 13% drop.

“We have to hold our representatives accountable,” remarks Daphne Smith, co-executive director at Northwest Health Law Advocates and Spokane community member. “We cannot continue enabling the rich to get richer while the rest of us pay more and still struggle to get the care we need. We need lawmakers to take action because they hold power and lives are at stake.” The urgency for state action has been heightened as H.R.1 is being rolled out, which puts an additional 1 in 20 Washington residents at risk of losing health care.

A new national Gallup poll echoes what Fair Health Prices confirmed in a recent survey of Washingtonians: the cost of health care is a huge concern. In fact, it’s the #1 concern in the nation. Sam Hatzenbeler, legislative director at the Economic Opportunity Institute and Fair Health Prices coalition leader, spoke with Public News Service alongside State Senator Emily Alvarado, D-Seattle, about the current health care crisis in Washington state, including the facts that:

• 1 in every 20 Washingtonians is at risk of losing health coverage due to federal changes.
• Premiums on the Washington Health Benefit Exchange marketplace increased by more than 20% this year alone — pushing rates for some families to more than $30,000 a year.
• Lawmakers were unable to pass any significant health care policies during the state’s 2026 legislative session, and WA does not have the funds it needs for current health care needs in the near term.
• Families are skipping or delaying medical treatment because of cost, including 4 in 10 cancer patients.
• People in WA can be charged up to 9% interest on medical debt, creating cascading problems for individuals and families.