A bill headed to Olympia in the coming legislative session would move Washington down the path toward universal healthcare, creating building blocks to guarantee every resident access to low-cost or free primary care. 

If passed, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner would have a green light to design a plan pooling existing healthcare funds to pay providers monthly rather than through fee-for-service billing. 

Patty Kuderer, Washington State insurance commissioner, is bringing forward the proposal. She said investing in primary care saves people and the system money while sparing patients unnecessary suffering from advanced illness. 

“We don’t have a healthcare system. We have a sickness system and I want a system in place that is preventive so that we are catching problems early enough where they can be addressed without hospitalization, without urgent care,” Kuderer emphasized. 

According to the Washington State Health Services Research Project, about 40% of ER visits could be avoided with more access to primary care. 

Critics like Elizabeth New, with the Washington Policy Center, argued the state needs more private sector competition, rather than more government oversight to bring down prices and improve patient choice. Kuderer countered relying on the market is what the current system has tried to do and it has failed. She added a for-profit healthcare system means lower-income people are more likely to receive lower-quality care. 

She noted the issue became close to her heart after medical care for her premature baby was denied coverage by insurance. She called the current system morally bankrupt. 

“It isn’t working. It’s not working for patients, it’s not working for providers and I think it is long past time that we change it,” Kuderer said. 

Kuderer acknowledged many details still need ironing out – decisions her bill would set in motion. Central questions include which providers would be eligible, what services would be covered and how the model could improve the supply of primary care providers statewide. 

Ultimately, Kuderer wants the state to spend 12 cents on primary care for every dollar it spends on healthcare, a goal state lawmakers approved in 2022. 

This story is republished from Public News Service, an independent, member-supported news organization and Certified B Corporation committed to increasing awareness of and engagement with critical public interest issues by reporting and delivering credible journalism and media packages through a network of independent state newswires.