FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 1/26/2025
Contact: press@wholewashington.org
Press resources: www.wholewashington.org/press
Washington State Democratic Party votes to endorse universal healthcare legislation
Tacoma, WA – The Washington State Democratic Party has endorsed universal healthcare legislation through a decisive majority vote of its state committee members at a party meeting in Tacoma on January 26th.
The proposal, known as the Washington Health Trust, was introduced into both chambers of Washington’s legislature as SB.5233 and HB.1445 by Senator Bob Hasegawa and Representative Lisa Parshley, respectively. The bills are backed by the community-labor coalition Health Care is a Human Right Washington.
“An ACT Relating to the expansion and consolidation of public health plans in Washington under a unified financing system in order to universalize eligibility to all Washington residents, ensure comprehensive medical coverage including primary care, dental, vision, and prescription drug benefits, and achieve cost savings through administrative efficiency, bulk pricing, and cost controls,” read both HB 1445 and SB 5233.
The Washington Health Trust has existed since its first public introduction by Whole Washington as I-1600 in 2018 and was first introduced into the legislature the following year. While more than 15 of the district-level chapters of the Democratic Party have endorsed previous versions, and universal public healthcare has been a key pillar of the state party platform since at least 2016, this is the first time that the Washington Health Trust has been embraced by the state party bringing their support behind a clearly defined legislative solution as opposed to the more general values of universal healthcare.
With the legislative session less than a month in, the support of the state party may help the bills advance through the process. Now introduced into both chambers, the next hurdle they would have to overcome would be to receive public hearings in the House Health & Wellness Committee and the Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee, chaired by Representative Dan Bronoske and Senator Annette Cleveland, respectively.
The cutoff for a policy hearing is February 21st but the bills may have a shot at a hearing at a later date if deemed “necessary to implement the budget” – a distinct possibility given their impact on the revenue and savings. A workgroup report from the Washington Health Care Authority estimates that a system like the Washington Health Trust could reduce the total cost of healthcare spending by $800 million to $2.5 billion in an implementation year with annual savings of up to $5.6 billion after full transition. The proposal includes a full financing plan separate from the general fund.
The Washington State Democratic Party has held a “trifecta” in the state government since 2016. “Making universal healthcare a reality in Washington state is 100% economically feasible. The challenge is political. But if the majority caucus of Washington truly supports this proposal, they have everything they need to pass it. We look forward to the rest of the session,” said Andre Stackhouse, executive director of Whole Washington.
The Office of the Insurance Commissioner estimates over 480,000 Washington residents are uninsured with medical bills being the top contributor to bankruptcy.
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