Skip navigation

Stay Updated!

What do we mean by universal health care?

  • Coverage designed and administered by the state
  • Care delivered by private and public providers, clinics and hospitals
  • Financed through a unified single-payer system
  • From cradle to grave, all Washingtonians covered by state, federal, or tribal programs

How do we get there? Through legislative advocacy.

Our track record of success:

  • 2025: Thanks to HCFA-WA supporters who sent more than 3,000 messages to legislators this Session, six of our priority bills were passed into law, including a resolution endorsing universal health care principles and laws that improve healthcare access and affordability and ensure that medical debt will not impact credit scores or reports. In the context of a significant reduction in the state budget, we also secured $514,000 for the UHCC, $1M to transition those who lose Medicaid coverage to coverage on the WA Health Benefit Exchange, and funding for a study to determine the effect of credit history on health insurance premiums.
  • 2024: We secured $490,000 in total funding for 3 studies to develop infrastructure and capacity, unify our healthcare system, and meet federal waiver requirements. And, five of our priority bills passed, thanks to the 871 Actions taken by our supporters! To learn more click here.
  • 2023: We doubled the funding to speed up the work of the Universal Health Care Commission (UHCC) and supported increased funding for immigrant health care.
  • 2022: The legislature passed eight of our top priority bills into law, including controlling the price of prescription drugs and increasing access to health care. 
  • 2021: We helped lay the groundwork for the Universal Health Care Commission. Governor Inslee appointed five of our six recommendations to the 15-member Commission.
  • 2020: We successfully passed health care cost legislation into law, from reducing the costs of insulin to requiring greater transparency in health care costs.
  • 2019: We were instrumental in securing funding for the Universal Health Care Work Group and the passage of the Cascade Care Bill.

We build relationships with legislators and voters across the state and aisle.

Be part of the organization that is moving our state toward a healthier and more equitable future with universal health care.

The Health Care for All-WA Education fund is a 501(c)(3) entity that assists in the educational activities of HCFA-WA. Click here to learn more.

Get the current Legislative Session Information

Read our 2024 Strategic Plan (pdf)

2nd Wednesday Speaker Series - Watch the Videos

This speaker series is your opportunity to:

  • Hear from our health care champions in Olympia.
  • Learn about current issues and the latest news in health care reform.

Universal Health Care Commission (UHCC)

UHCC-1.png

In 2021, Washington state took the lead by creating the Universal Health Care Commission. The purpose of the commission is to:

  • Create immediate and impactful changes in the health care access and delivery system in Washington.
  • Prepare the state for the creation of a health care system that provides coverage and access for all Washington residents through a unified financing system, once the necessary federal authority has become available.
  • Submit a baseline report by November 2022.

Blog

Go to Blog

June UHCC Meeting: Level Setting

July 09, 2025

Level Setting at the June UHCC Meeting by Marcia Stedman, HCFA-WA Board Member   The June 11, 2025, UHCC meeting was marked by robust public engagement, technical updates, and next steps for the Commission’s work. A major segment of this meeting consisted of a level-setting...

Read More

May FTAC Meeting: Should governance be just an afterthought?

July 09, 2025

This 15th meeting of the Commission’s Finance Technical Advisory Committee (FTAC) opened with a rich discussion around whether the topic of Governance should be tackled sooner rather than later in the Commission’s Work Plan. Some FTAC members recommended against it, stating that doing so would...

Read More

April UHCC Meeting: Governance tops the agenda

May 07, 2025

By Marcia Stedman, HCFA-WA Board member   This month’s Universal Health Care Commission (UHCC) meeting opened with approving prior meeting minutes and hearing public comments, before launching into a discussion of governance and hearing a report on the baseline modelling of 3 existing insurance...

Read More

Donate

Your contribution to Health Care for All Washington is more than just a donation—it’s an investment in your community.