Health Care Cost Transparency Board

Why have the Cost Board?

Health care spending continues to rise at an alarming rate, outpacing both inflation and wages. This makes health care unaffordable for working families across the state and keeps them from getting the care they need. According to KFF Health News polling data,

• Four in five adults worry about affording health care now or in the future.
• One in four adults say that in the past 12 months they have skipped or postponed getting health care they needed because of the cost.
• Over twenty percent of adults say they have not filled a prescription because of the cost.

High health care costs also strain the budgets of businesses and government agencies that are paying for health coverage. 

Objective data and findings help us understand the underlying causes of rising health care costs. We’re starting out by collecting and analyzing data on cost trends. Using this information—which health plans provided and provider organizations validated—we can identify how best to rein in health care spending growth. Those conversations will be with stakeholders across the health care system continuum. 

• Read our FAQ
• Visit our advisory pages
  • Data Issues
  • Health Care Providers and Carriers
  • Primary Care

How did the Cost Board start?

Washingtonians are paying more and more for their health care. Rising health care prices also affect how health care plans (payers) pay providers. The Health Care Cost Transparency Board (House Bill 2457) was signed into law in 2020, with the purpose of reducing health care cost growth and increasing price transparency.

For more information, visit our Resources pages.

How are board members selected?

The Board is comprised of primarily health care purchasers, including representatives of consumers and business and labor, who are appointed by the Governor. Learn about our board members.

Members of advisory committees are recruited and selected by the Cost Board’s Nomination Committee. The Nomination Committee is comprised of at least three members of the board. Their job is to ensure an effective and appropriate mix of representation and diversity (including gender, geography, expertise, background, and qualifications) when selecting advisory committee members who adhere to the strategic vision of the board.

Attend a Nomination Committee meeting

Nomination Committee meetings are held on in-person at HCA and on Zoom. The next meeting is on:

Tuesday, April 23, 2024
1:30-3:30 p.m.
Zoom link coming soon

Reports

• View the 2023 annual report to the Legislature (September 2023)
• View the 2022 annual report to the Legislature (October 2022)