Response to “Cuts to Washington hospitals will hurt children statewide” (The Seattle Times, April 7, 2025). Op-Ed clarifies that proposed legislation does not cut patient care, but rather attempts to make hospitals and health care systems pay their fair share of taxes and reduce price hikes for patients. Contributed by Fair Health Prices Washington partners: Eileen Cody, former chair of Washington Senate House Health & Long-term Care Committee; physician Bob Crittenden, former health policy adviser to Washington’s governor; and Pam MacEwan, former CEO of the Washington Health Benefit Exchange.

Patient care is on the line the state Legislature considers changes to taxes and insurance payment caps. Hospitals argue that proposed measures will hurt revenue, jeopardize finances, and undermine the patient care they provide. Fair Health Prices Washington partner, Sam Hatzenbeler, from the Economic Opportunity Institute, uplifts the patient perspective: “Patients are always the ones who are asked to tighten our belts or skip needed lifesaving care to protect mega hospitals’ bottom lines. There is an inherent imbalance that needs to be addressed.”

Responding to “Hospitals say lawmakers’ plans may deal financial blow” (The Seattle Times, April 10, 2025), this Letter to the Editor outlines three concrete policy moves to better support patient care. Brian P. Wicks, M.D., of Silverdale, notes that more money could be dedicated to patient care if state law placed guardrails to restrict ballooning compensation for hospital executives, to keep market competition from making optimal care options cost-prohibitive, and to reduce the advertising dollars that hospitals and health care systems are permitted to spend.

The Washington Legislature faces a $12 billion budget shortfall and will decide on several significant health care bills over the coming weeks. Debra L. Glasser, M.D. provides updates and reflections on several Fair Health Prices Washington priorities, including bills that would protect public and school employees from unreasonably high medical bills, improve price transparency, reduce the impact of medical debt on family finances, and respond to federal Medicaid cuts.

“These stories aren’t just individual frustrations; they point to a health care system that is increasingly putting profits over people.” This op-ed from Senator Robinson highlights the need for Senate Bill 5083 and Senate Bill 5387. If passed, these bills would help protect public and school employees from excessive and unpredictable hospital bills, and they would reduce corporate influence over care delivery decisions. See also from the Everett Herald: “Everett Small Business Owner Struggles with Health Insurance Rate Hike” Jan. 22, 2025, and “Support legislation for fair hospital pricing” Feb. 28, 2025.

Debra L. Glasser, M.D., shares her choice to testify before the Health & Long-Term Care Committee in support of Senate Bill 5387. A retired primary care internal medicine physician in Olympia, Glasser speaks from 30 years in private practice and having experienced different levels of bureaucratic control over patient care. “Corporate and private equity control of physician practices redirects the focus of medical care toward efficiency and profitability for the business rather than the patient,” she shares.

Monthly premiums for about 260,000 Washingtonians shopping on the individual health insurance market will increase on average 10.7% next year, state insurance officials announced Wednesday. Read reactions from Northwest Health Law Advocates’ Emily Brice and Patient Coalition of Washington’s Jim Freeburg.

Washington residents who purchase health insurance will face an average premium price increase of 11%, according to today’s announcement by the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner. “The increasing cost of health care is unsustainable and patients are demanding action from policymakers,” said Representative Nicole Macri (D-Seattle).

A new survey finds Washingtonians are worried about the rising costs of health care — in some cases even avoiding treatment because of the price tag. This radio news report provides an overview of the results and reactions from Economic Opportunity Institute’s Sam Hatzenbeler and Pacific Business Group on Health’s Bill Kramer.

Find out why Economic Opportunity Institute’s Senior Policy Analyst Sam Hatzenbeler says a new report show that “[i]t’s time for policymakers to engage with ideas that could really make a difference for people’s pocketbooks.”