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In 2022, the Health Care Cost Transparency Board (Cost Board) collected data from the largest health insurance carriers in Washington. This objective data and findings help us understand the underlying causes of rising health care costs and help the Cost Board and carriers to work together to rein in the high cost of health care.
The second call for data, which concluded on May 15, will compare data to this benchmark report. The benchmark is a specific rate of spending growth that carriers and providers will be held to and should try to stay under to make health care more affordable.
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Costs are increasing across all markets
The high out-of-pocket costs experienced by Washington consumers are driven by the increasing costs of health care services for each patient. Data show that spending in each health insurance market including commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid saw substantial growth between 2017 and 2019.
Health care spending is outpacing income in Washington
Out-of-pocket health care costs for Washington consumers such as co-pays and deductibles have been outpacing wage growth. For Washingtonians with health insurance through their employer, more health care spending gets passed on to employees in the form of employee contributions. While more is being subtracted from workers’ paychecks every month, deductibles have risen even faster, increasing workers’ overall financial responsibility for health care services they receive.
People are delaying care due to financial burden
This rise in health care costs has a real impact on affordability for Washingtonians. Mounting out-of-pocket costs drive consumers to delay care, negatively impacting their health and putting a strain on household budgets. In 2022, 62% of Washington respondents reported experiencing health care affordability burdens in the last 12 months.
The path forward
The Cost Board will continue to work with carriers and other stakeholders to identify cost drivers and find ways to address the growth of health care costs. The board’s evidence-based approach to health care cost data provides a common understanding of spending trends for consumers, purchasers, and regulators to help make health care more affordable in Washington.
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Health care spending continues to rise at an alarming rate, outpacing both inflation and wages. This makes health care unaffordable for working families across the state and keeps them from getting the care they need. According to KFF Health News polling data,
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Four in five adults worry about affording health care now or in the future.
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One in four adults say that in the past 12 months they have skipped or postponed getting health care they needed because of the cost.
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Over twenty percent of adults say they have not filled a prescription because of the cost.
High health care costs also strain the budgets of businesses and government agencies that are paying for health coverage.
We’re starting out by collecting and analyzing data on cost trends. Using this information—which health plans provided and provider organizations validated—we can identify how best to rein in health care spending growth. Those conversations will be with stakeholders across the health care system continuum.
Have high health care costs impacted you?
We are collecting stories to share how Washington State's efforts to rein in health care spending and the work of the Cost Board can benefit the people of Washington. We will share these stories with the board members so they can center consumer voices in their work.
We may also share them on the Health Care Authority’s (HCA) website and social media with the intent to inspire others to follow and support the work of the board. We won't share anything without your express permission.
Submit your story!
Where can I learn more?
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