Health Care Cost Transparency Board

Washingtonians are paying more and more for their health care. Rising health care prices also affect how health care plans (payers) pay providers. The Health Care Cost Transparency Board (House Bill 2457) was signed into law in 2020, with the purpose of reducing health care cost growth and increasing price transparency.

Learn more about the Health Care Cost Transparency Board!

What's the role of the board?

The Health Care Cost Transparency Board is responsible for reducing the state's health care cost growth by:

  1. Determining the state's total health care expenditures.
  2. Identifying cost trends and cost drivers in the health care system.
  3. Setting a health care cost growth benchmark for providers and payers.
  4. Reporting annually to the Legislature, including providing recommendations for lowering health care costs.

Every year, the board will set a benchmark for the annual rate of growth of total health care spending in Washington State. The board will identify health care providers and payers that are exceeding the established benchmark. The purpose of the benchmark and public reporting are to:

  • Make health care costs more transparent to the public and policymakers.
  • Encourage providers and payers to keep costs at or below the benchmark.
  • Reduce the overall trend of health care cost growth in Washington State.

Reports

Resources

News and announcements

Date Title
September 5, 2023 Cost Board’s Advisory Committee of Health Care Providers and Carriers to meet this week
August 25, 2023

Cost Board’s Advisory Committee on Primary Care to meet next week

July 27, 2023 Health Care Cost Transparency Board, Health Care Authority receive $1.7 million grant
July 21, 2023 Cost Board's Advisory Committee on Primary Care to meet next Tuesday
July 12, 2023 Health Care Cost Transparency Board's July meeting canceled
June 23, 2023 Cost Board's Advisory Committee on Primary Care to meet next Wednesday
June 20, 2023 Attend the Health Care Cost Transparency Board's June meeting
June 2, 2023

Joint meeting of the Cost Board's advisory committees coming up

May 31, 2023

Peterson Center on Healthcare announces a $1.7 million grant to Washington State Health Care Authority to identify and address drivers of health care cost growth 

April 13, 2023 April Health Care Cost Transparency Board meeting coming up
March 2, 2023 Cost Board's March 7 Advisory Committee of Providers and Carriers meeting canceled
January 3, 2023

WA Cost Board’s Advisory Committee on Providers and Carriers meeting postponed to February 7, 2023

September 27, 2022 Check out the WA Cost Board’s Advisory Committee on Primary Care webpage
September 23, 2022 WA’s Cost Board forms new advisory committee
September 6, 2022 WA Cost Board’s data issues committee to meet Thursday
August 2, 2022 New resources available for those providing health care cost data to WA cost board
June 7, 2022 Washington is working to lower health care costs and increase transparency. This new resource explains how.
April 29, 2022 Cost Board’s data call will set baseline for tracking state's growth in spending
March 29, 2022 Health Care Cost Transparency Board taking steps toward making health care more affordable
February 18, 2022 Washington State continues efforts on health care cost containment