Keeping health care fair, affordable as costs rise
By June Robinson / For The Herald
Every year, I hear from Washingtonians who struggle with the rising cost of health care.
Teachers and public employees tell me about unpredictable hospital bills that strain their budgets. Medical professionals describe how corporate ownership is changing the way they practice, forcing them to prioritize financial gains over patient needs. These stories aren’t just individual frustrations; they point to a health care system that is increasingly putting profits over people.
We’ve made progress in the Legislature to lower health care costs. We’ve capped insulin prices, cracked down on surprise billing and established the Health Care Cost Transparency Board. But despite these steps, the cost of care — especially hospital services — continues to rise. The recent Health Care Affordability Report confirms what many Washingtonians already know: health care expenses are climbing at an unprecedented rate, regardless of what kind of coverage you have. Hospital consolidation and the growing influence of private equity in medicine are major drivers of these rising costs, limiting competition, which makes care more expensive and lowers quality. That’s why I introduced two critical bills this session — Senate Bill 5083 and Senate Bill 5387 — to bring fairness to health care pricing and ensure medical decisions are made by professionals, not corporations.
SB 5083 tackles one of the biggest cost burdens and aims to increase access to primary care. Excessive hospital charges are harming our public employees and school workers. These workers dedicate their lives to serving our communities, yet they’re often hit with exorbitant and unpredictable health care bills.
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