Reports from the Washington State Insurance Commissioner’s office and the Attorney General reveal an analysis of what they call “the true costs of health care” in Washington. Based on the results, the Economic Opportunity Institute is asking state lawmakers to do more to address consolidation and sharply rising costs.
Health care costs nationwide have been on the rise. The institute’s senior policy associate, Sam Hatzenbeler, said the AG’s report shows costs in Washington state outpace the national average. What she described as “insufficient regulation” has led to more consolidation of health care providers and much higher prices for patients.
“We are seeing that they’re able to monopolize the market and charge higher and higher prices,” she said. “Patients, labor, business — we’re saying, ‘Enough is enough.’ The bottom line is that Washington consumers are being priced out of the health care that we need.”
The institute has launched a Fair Health Prices campaign to educate consumers and prompt state lawmakers to take action. The group is calling for more affordable drug prices, regulating health care provider mergers and addressing anti-competitive contracting strategies.
All these proposed fixes, Hatzenbeler said, would increase accountability on spending and help slow the skyrocketing costs of health care — costs the state insurance commissioner’s report projects will go even higher.
“Annual out-of-pocket expenses for people with insurance can reach up to almost $19,000 a year,” she said. “The Office of Insurance Commissioner just approved a 9% average increase for plans in 2024; that is on top on an 8% average increase that we saw in plans this year.”
The institute also said 81% of Washington residents report worrying about health care cost increases. Large providers have said higher costs are driven by aggressive medical research and the latest treatments for illness and disease. Despite these claims, the U.S. has the lowest life expectancy rate among the world’s developed nations.
— By Mark Moran, Public News Service Washington
Reality check: Putting band aids on a broken health care system is wasting dollars while the Medical Industrial Complex continues to make maximum profits, too often denying care at the cost of lives.
Everyone deserves affordable health care without going into debt. Sick people cannot get to “wellness” if stressed out and worried about navigating health care costs!
HCFA-WA (Health Care For All-WA) has been working diligently for many years toward this goal of a Single Payer Program, (think “Medicare For All”) but much resistance can be found at the legislative level where change is made at a snails pace for various reasons!
In 2021 Washington State took the lead and created the Universal Health Care Commission. A majority of physicians in the U.S favor a National Health Care Plan (check out PNHP.org).
It’s high time to look closely into what keeps costs high and yet care is notoriously poor compared to many other countries.
We must inform ourselves about the work of these other organizations here at home (HCFA-WA) and around the country (PNHP). Also, we must let our Legislators know that there are solutions on the table! THEY must have the will to make changes that would serve the greater good…and their constituents.