Work group urges adding universal primary care to commission work plan; September decision targeted

Work‑group members reported to the Universal Health Care Commission on June 18 that universal primary care should be added to the commission's work plan as either a transitional model or a foundational step toward a full universal system. Hiroshi Nakano, representing FTAC, summarized the group's deliberations and presented a conceptual framework that emphasized evaluating any primary‑care proposal against the commission's existing design elements: governance, financing, enrollment, provider participation and quality measures.

Commissioners asked for specific evaluation metrics and practical scoping before a possible September 3 decision. Representative Joe Schmick pressed for concrete measures to judge success, including how current primary‑care spending compares to a 12% target and what would happen if waivers for Medicare/Medicaid were required. Dr. Quanghette (Department of Health) and others stressed workforce issues and the need to include NPs and PAs in workforce planning. Staff said many detailed implementation questions will require additional analysis and recommended that the work group return with a clearer list of what the commission needs to decide in September.

Public commenters and advocates urged the commission to leverage existing modeling and university tools; several commissioners said the commission is a suitable 'home' for the work because it brings legislators and agencies together. The work group will schedule further meetings and provide a focused package of outstanding questions and proposed next steps for the September meeting.