Why does healthcare cost so much? 

Two factors drive healthcare costs: the type and number of services people use and the price they pay. 

In the last decade, health insurance rates have increased by double digits. In 2022, we released a report showing healthcare costs in Washington state's commercial health insurance market increased by 13%, nearly twice the inflation rate from 2016 to 2019. A 2022 survey of 1,300 Washingtonians found that nearly two-thirds had rationed medication, delayed or skipped needed care, or spent all their savings on care or prescriptions. More than 81% worried about affording healthcare in the future. 

What we're doing about healthcare affordability

Read the 2026 private equity in healthcare report

We released a report to provide more transparency and insight into private equity investment in Washington state’s healthcare system. We contracted with Pitchbook, Inc., a provider of data, insight, and research on private markets, as a source of information in this report. The report informs the Washington state Legislature and state organizations as they consider policies to improve healthcare transparency, affordability, access, and quality.

Healthcare affordability reports

In response to these issues, the state Legislature asked us and the Attorney General's Office to review options for improving affordability. We delivered our first report in December 2023 and our final report on Aug. 1, 2024. The data and analysis are meant to help policymakers make healthcare more affordable.

Read the 2024 final affordability report

We worked with Health Management Associates to create our final report. It includes actuarial and economic analysis of five policy options that could make healthcare more affordable in Washington state. 

Read the 2023 preliminary report 

Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler and Attorney General Bob Ferguson sent the Legislature our first report on Washington's healthcare system. It explores recent changes in the healthcare market and ways to improve affordability. Policymakers used the report's findings to review several policy options.

See the healthcare costs and claims data behind our policy options 

In the first part of our work on healthcare affordability, Onpoint Health Data helped review our state's healthcare services and prices.

Onpoint used data about claims from the Washington State All Payer Claims Database (WA-APCD) to create a dashboard of trends in healthcare costs. The WA-APCD shows what is increasing healthcare costs and helps inform policy decisions. It includes claims from more than 50 commercial health insurers, Medicaid and Medicare.