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AWB panel warns of hospital financing strain and rising premiums in Washington
Summary
AWB health and workforce lead Emily Whitman told attendees that hospitals face a financial crisis tied to state and federal underfunding, cited a 21% individual-market increase approved by the insurance commissioner, and announced an AWB cost-of-regulation study focused on health care.
Emily Whitman, AWB education and workforce lead, described what she called a financial crisis in Washington's health-care system and hospitals, attributing the problem to a mix of state and federal funding cuts. "We are chronically underfunded for Medicaid and Medicare, like 50%," she said, arguing that hospitals are forced to cover the shortfall.
Whitman pointed to recent premium developments: "The office of the insurance commissioner approved a 21% increase in the individual health care market," and she said average employer-sponsored costs were rising by roughly 6.5 percent. She framed these trends as straining both employees and employers who provide benefits.
AWB announced a cost-of-regulation study that will examine duplicative rules and regulatory burdens in health care as one lever to reduce cost growth. Whitman said the group's first sector review will be health care and that AWB will provide legislators with a list of regulations that could be reconsidered to help curb cost increases.
Panelists and audience members connected staffing regulations, paid-leave usage and overlapping benefits as compounding workforce pressures during audience Q&A. Whitman and other panelists invited employers to provide specific examples for AWB staff to bring to lawmakers and to attend breakout sessions for deeper discussion.
Closing note: AWB recommended members engage with the insurance- and budgeting breakouts and provide concrete employer-level data to inform legislative options.
