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).

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.”

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.

Read a new report to the legislature from Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler that looks at five ways to reduce health care costs, “to help policymakers make meaningful decisions,” and “start tackling the underlying costs of health care that we’ve been battling for too long.”

Patient groups, labor, small businesses, and health advocates weigh in on a new health care affordability survey that shows many are avoiding or delaying care because of cost. President of the Washington State Nurses Association and urgent care nurse practitioner Justin Gill said, “By foregoing diagnostic tests or missing medications, patients often have more consequential and expensive complications that further fuel the cycle of skyrocketing costs.”

A new statewide survey of more than 1,000 Washingtonians looks at the effects of high health care costs and finds that three in ten respondents have an unpaid medical bill, more than half did not get the medical care they need in the last year because of cost, six in ten do not trust the health care industry to regulate prices, and nine in ten want Washington lawmakers to take action.

A broad coalition of patient groups, business groups, and labor unions called on the Cost Board to address health care costs by focusing on mechanisms that can “rapidly stabilize or lower expenditures” with these three recommendations: increasing accountability of providers and insurers that repeatedly exceed the state’s targets, examining the effects of consolidations on the health care system, and  solutions to price variation.

Read columnist Dr. Debra Glasser’s overview of the 2024 Washington legislative session and her 9 suggestions for how people can improve the health care system.

Washington’s nonprofit hospitals lag behind most of the country when it comes to fulfilling their community obligations, according to Lown Institute’s new Fair Share Spending report.