Insurance commissioner report models policy options including reinsurance, reference-based pricing and hospital budgets

Office of the Insurance Commissioner staff presented their final health care affordability report to the Senate Ways & Means Committee, outlining policy options the office modeled for Washington and estimating varied fiscal impacts for each.

Analysts from the OIC told the committee they reviewed 11 potential policy options and chose five to model using Washington‑specific data drawn from the state’s all‑payer claims database and provider cost reports. The options aim to reduce premiums and overall health spending through different levers: reinsurance, a higher medical loss ratio (MLR), reference‑based pricing, hospital global budgeting or growth limits, and enforcing Health Care Cost…