Also in this issue:

• Planning for the 2026 Legislative Session
• Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer speaks out
• Second Wednesday Speaker Series, June edition
• Universal Health Care Commission June meeting recap
• Upcoming Events

Plus - SAVE the DATE - Universal Health Care Advocates Meeting!
Denver, CO, Fri., Aug. 1st, 1 pm - Sat. August 2nd, 5:30 pm
In-person and online!

• Join single payer activists from across the nation on a shared strategy and vision to win.
• Build relationships, share strategies and tactics, work on your skills, understand the power needed to fix how we pay for health care in America, sustain hope, fight threats, and envision success.

Sponsored by One Payer States and The Action Network
Registration and Program Details here

Looking ahead to the 2026 Legislative Session

With the 2025 Legislative Session in the rearview mirror, members of HCFA-WA’S Policy Committee are devoting this Interim to determining our priorities for the 2026 Session and connecting with our Health Care Champions in the Legislature on their priorities.

We are also tracking the funding we secured this year for three important projects:

1. $514,000 for dedicated UHCC staff and economic modelling
2. $1M to transition those losing Medicaid coverage to WA Health Benefit Exchange healthcare insurance
3. Funding for a study to determine the effect of credit history on health insurance premiums

Together, these projects will create a foundation for more equitable, transparent, and accessible healthcare in Washington state, bringing HCFA-WA closer to our vision of publicly funded, privately delivered healthcare for all Washington residents.

You can read more about our 2025 Legislative Accomplishments here.

New federal rule creates unnecessary health coverage hurdles for nearly 300,000 Washingtonians

A new federal rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services threatens affordable health coverage for nearly 300,000 Washingtonians by shortening open enrollment, increasing administrative hurdles, and limiting eligibility for premium tax credits.

Washington Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer criticizes the rule for creating consumer confusion, raising costs, and restricting access to essential services, including gender-affirming care. Despite overwhelming public opposition, the rule moves forward, prompting concerns that more residents will struggle to obtain and keep health insurance—especially as enhanced federal premium subsidies are set to expire soon.

Read the full article here.

Keep informed about our active work to create a universal healthcare program for Washington. 

June 2WSS: Health Care is a Human Right: A Model Built in Seattle’s International District

by Ron Lovell, HCFA-WA Board Member

In June, Bruce Miyahara, MHA, former WA State Secretary of Health and co-founder of International Community Health Services (ICHS), and Dr. Gary Goldbaum, former Snohomish Health District Director, discussed “Health Care is a Human Right,” highlighting ICHS’s founding in Seattle’s International District in 1975. Bruce shared the organization’s origins and its ongoing mission to serve King County’s Asian and Pacific Islander communities, emphasizing the struggle for health care equity and social justice. Bruce’s extensive public health leadership includes roles as Secretary of Health and Chief Administrative Officer for Seattle & King County, with a Master of Health Administration from UW.

View the video of this presentation here.

Note: The HCFA-WA 2nd Wednesday Speaker Series is taking July and August off. Look for us to restart this popular series on the 2nd Wednesday of September.

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 strategy presented by David di Giuseppe, the Finance Technical Advisory Committee (FTAC) liaison to the Universal Health Care Commission. 

Level setting is the process of ensuring that all participants in a discussion share a common understanding of the context, goals, and expectations, getting everyone "on the same page" before moving forward with a task or conversation.   

Attendance Issues

Many Commission members faithfully attend each meeting, voluntarily offering their expertise to this critical effort to prepare Washington for a universal health care system.  However, after three and a half years of bimonthly meetings, the Commission has experienced significant turnover in membership.  Three of the Legislative seats have been vacant for months,  and some members have never attended any meetings.   As a result, a major part of the June 11, 2025, session was devoted to identifying decisions made to date and those that still need to be addressed. 

In a bid to increase participation and diversity in FTAC meetings, the Commission voted to add an attendance policy to the FTAC charter, calling for the possible removal of any of its members who miss 3 meetings in a calendar year or 3 consecutive meetings in a 12-month period.  A similar proposal for Commission members was not presented.

Additionally, in an effort to streamline discussions, the Commission’s Finance Technical Advisory Committee (FTAC) recommended a 6-member working subgroup of 3 members from each body in order to more quickly complete their charge. Unfortunately, the public’s repeated requests to first determine an overarching Governance structure were dismissed in favor of continuing to  analyze elements of our state’s existing and overstrained delivery of healthcare. The issue of Governance is especially important given the current Federal uncertainty around the continuation of Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage that more than half our state residents depend upon for their health care. 

Meanwhile, the Commission voiced support for

• capping hospital payments at 200% of the PEBB/SEBB rate as specified in SB 5083
• higher payments for primary care providers with details deferred to the  Health Care Authority’s Multi-Payer Collaborative
• addressing concerns about excluded populations crowding out appointment slots
• Continuing to review governance structures and to revisit the timing and structure of these discussions at future meetings

Next Steps include 

• refinement of cost and benefit modeling
• continued engagement with stakeholders and the public
• preparation for legislative strategy development

Near the top of the meeting, Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer reiterated her strong support for universal health care, and discussed the potential for interstate compacts as a strategy to broaden coverage and coordinate with neighboring states, such as Oregon, utilizing Section 1333 waivers under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). She offered to assist in assembling a joint Washington/Oregon presentation on this topic at a future Commission meeting.

View the Meeting Video  
View the Meeting Materials

Future meetings

• FTAC  - Thurs., July 17, 2-4:30 pm. Topics include provider reimbursement and participation in a unified system.  Join us as we track this meeting - details here
• Advocates Roundtable  - Tues., Aug. 5, 3-5 pm  Representatives of HCFA-WA, Whole Washington, and Washington Citizens Action Network (WA-CAN) will speak about their organizations’ approaches to solving Washington’s health care crisis, joined by UHCC and FTAC members.  Members of the public are welcome at this open public meeting in Olympia or via Zoom. Details here

Got something to tell the Commission? We encourage you to:

• Sign up to provide public comment by 5 p.m. the day before the meeting occurs.
• We urge our members to push for a single payer plan in their public comments.
• Read our take on past UHCC and FTAC meetings
• Subscribe to Health Care Authority (HCA) for updates.