Commission Meeting – Opportunity for Public Comment

Attend the Universal Health Care Commission meeting (virtual and in-person in Olympia options available) and make your voice heard by making a 60-90 second comment. Share your story for why you want single-payer healthcare and why it needs to happen now.

This is the committee that Washington state legislators look to for guidance about the potential of state-wide universal healthcare and if and how to make it happen. By pressing upon the committee the importance and urgency of this, we have a better chance of making legislators listen.

Even just attending to watch the meeting, even virtually, pumps up our numbers and shows the commission that there are a lot of people that want to see this happen and are watching.

Check out this info on how to join here.

How to make a public comment at the meeting:  Sign up in advance by sending an email to hcauniversalhcc@hca.wa.gov by Wednesday afternoon. Email them telling them you want to make a public comment at the UHCC meeting on 12/11 and give them your full name. Sometimes they also allow people to raise their hands if there is time available at the meeting. Check out this info sheet about making comment here.

What to comment:

• Speak to what you are passionate about.
• Your experience with costs, with service access, with service limitations.
• Speak to medical bankruptcy, to equity, to well being.
• Speak to the urgency that the Commission gets to the completion of its work because people in the state are hurting, especially now, with federal cuts.
• You are bringing a human experience into the room.  If you want to speak about the agenda, you could (for example) say that they should see their proposed 2026 work plan, not as aspirational, but as a commitment to deliverables, and to meet as often as is needed to get the job done.
• You might want to start your comment with, “I support single payer health care because….” and/or “I hope you will work with urgency because….”
• It’s great to say, “I volunteer with Whole Washington” (it gets our name out there) but saying “I speak on behalf of Whole Washington” requires board/staff review.
• 90 seconds isn’t long, so focus on making one clear short point.