Universal Health Care Commission

What’s the role of the commission?

The purpose of the commission is to:

• Make the health care system more accessible by increasing access to quality, affordable health care.
• 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 federal government approves this new health care system.

Will the commission work with other entities?

Yes. The commission will collect and use data from the Health Care Cost Transparency Board.

The commission will also consider and apply, when appropriate, the work of the Universal Health Care Work Group, whose work ended in early 2021. In 2019, the Washington State Legislature directed HCA to convene a work group study (i.e., the work group). The purpose of the study was to provide recommendations to the Legislature on how to create, implement, maintain, and fund a universal health care system.

Reports

Baseline report

• Read the full report (November 2022)
• Read the report by section:
  • Glossary of abbreviations and acronyms
  • Executive summary
  • Section 1: synthesis of past analyses
  • Section 2: strategies to move toward a universal health care system
  • Section 3: core components of a universal system
  • Section 4: readiness
  • Section 5: Medicaid rates
  • Section 6: transitional solutions
  • Section 7: finance
  • Conclusion
  • Appendix A: Universal Health Care Commission members
  • Appendix B: charter and operating procedures (draft) 
  • Appendix C: Universal Health Care Work Group report to the Legislature (January 2021)
  • Appendix D: survey

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