Comment: Keeping health care fair, affordable as costs rise

By June Robinson / For The Herald

Every year, I hear from Washingtonians who struggle with the rising cost of health care.

Teachers and public employees tell me about unpredictable hospital bills that strain their budgets. Medical professionals describe how corporate ownership is changing the way they practice, forcing them to prioritize financial gains over patient needs. These stories aren’t just individual frustrations; they point to a health care system that is increasingly putting profits over people.

We’ve made progress in the Legislature to lower health care costs. We’ve capped insulin prices, cracked down on surprise billing and established the Health Care Cost Transparency Board. But despite these steps, the cost of care — especially hospital services — continues to rise. The recent Health Care Affordability Report confirms what many Washingtonians already know: health care expenses are climbing at an unprecedented rate, regardless of what kind of coverage you have. Hospital consolidation and the growing influence of private equity in medicine are major drivers of these rising costs, limiting competition, which makes care more expensive and lowers quality. That’s why I introduced two critical bills this session — Senate Bill 5083 and Senate Bill 5387 — to bring fairness to health care pricing and ensure medical decisions are made by professionals, not corporations.

SB 5083 tackles one of the biggest cost burdens and aims to increase access to primary care. Excessive hospital charges are harming our public employees and school workers. These workers dedicate their lives to serving our communities, yet they’re often hit with exorbitant and unpredictable health care bills.

SB 5083 helps rein in those costs by capping reimbursement rates for hospital services under public employee and school worker health plans, ensuring fair pricing while keeping hospitals financially stable. At the same time, it directs more funding toward primary care and behavioral health; two areas that are essential to keeping people healthy but are often overlooked and underfunded. Investing in these services over time will lead to fewer costly hospital visits and better health outcomes for everyone.

While affordability is a major concern, I’ve also heard deep frustration about corporate control over health care decisions. Across the country, private equity firms and large corporations are buying up medical practices, inserting financial motives into decisions that should be based solely on patient care. The Health Care Affordability Report found that nearly 100 private equity acquisitions have occurred in Washington’s health care sector over the last decade, affecting a range of services that include primary, specialty and hospice care.

Senate Bill 5387 strengthens protections to ensure only licensed medical professionals — not business executives — determine how care is provided. It prevents corporate entities from pressuring doctors to rush through appointments, pushing hospitals to discharge patients prematurely, or restricting providers’ ability to offer the best treatment options. Patients deserve to know that their health care decisions are based on medical expertise, not financial calculations.

Together, these bills take a necessary step toward a fairer, more patient-focused health care system. By capping excessive hospital costs and preventing corporate interference in medical decisions, we can ensure people get the care they need — and deserve — without financial hardship or profit-driven restrictions.

Washington has led the way in providing affordable health care coverage. Now, we must take the next step to ensure that patients can use that coverage to receive affordable, high-quality, patient-centered care. Health care should always serve people first, and I am committed to making sure it does.

State Sen. June Robinson, D-Everett, represents the 38th Legislative District. She is the chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee and a member of the Health & Long-Term Care Committee. Since joining the Legislature in 2013, Robinson has been a leading voice on health care policy, working to lower costs, expand access, and ensure high-quality care for all Washingtonians.