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Committee hears data showing drug and outpatient care drove 2023 spending growth above the benchmark
Summary
Staff presented 2023 commercial‑market spending data showing statewide growth above the board benchmark, with retail prescription drugs, hospital outpatient and professional services the largest contributors; panels highlighted affordability strains and primary‑care access gaps.
Harrison Fontaine delivered a cost‑board update summarizing spending submitted through the 2023 data call and analysis presented at the board’s public hearing.
He told the committee the board’s analysis showed statewide growth that "did exceed the benchmark, as determined by the board, statewide and in each of the individual markets," and identified retail prescription drugs, hospital outpatient services and professional spending (primary and specialty care) as outsized contributors.
Panel feedback at the public hearing underscored affordability. Fontaine said a consumer survey found four in five Washington residents worry about affording care, one in three reported rationing medications in the past year, and two in three reported delaying or going without care because of cost.
Speakers linked several trends: rising prescription spending, consolidation‑driven price pressure, and primary‑care shortages that limit lower‑cost care options. The board’s legislative target for primary‑care investment was restated: a goal of 12% of total health spending on primary care, while current primary‑care share was noted as about 3.7%.
Committee members were asked to weigh these findings as the board shapes 2026 priorities on retail pharmacy strategies and primary‑care access.
