HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 96-4749, by Representatives Dyer, Backlund, Cody, Horn, K. Schmidt, Ballasiotes, Benton, Cairnes, B. Thomas, Reams, Carlson, Foreman, Lisk, L. Thomas, Schoesler, D. Schmidt, Radcliff, Brumsickle, Buck, Sherstad, Hickel, Mastin, Lambert, Sheahan, Cooke, Boldt, Pelesky, Sehlin, Johnson, Casada, McMahan, Mulliken, Skinner, McMorris, Clements, Huff, Delvin, Chandler, Van Luven, Carrell, Crouse, Koster, Chappell, Veloria, Tokuda, Cole, Poulsen, Costa, H. Sommers, Hatfield, Jacobsen, Grant, Kessler, Romero, Linville, Wolfe, Keiser, Sheldon, Patterson, Thompson, Elliot, Fuhrman, Blanton, Chopp, Conway and Scheuerman

     WHEREAS, The Washington State Legislature has worked diligently towards a public policy of market dynamics in health care to advance the goals of affordability and access to health insurance for all our citizens; and

     WHEREAS, Access to affordable health insurance contributes to the health of Washington's citizens by making it easier and less costly to take advantage of preventive health care services and timely treatment of physical ailments; and

     WHEREAS, The purchase of health insurance by individual buyers is threatened by rising costs; and

     WHEREAS, The availability of health insurance to individuals is diminishing; and

     WHEREAS, All health care purchasers benefit from a health insurance market that includes a variety of choices, benefits, and payment methods; and

     WHEREAS, The private health care system has the capacity to tailor insurance coverage to meet the distinct and diverse needs of each individual health care purchaser; and

     WHEREAS, Health insurers have a duty to make affordable health care insurance available to every citizen in Washington; and

     WHEREAS, The Washington State Insurance Commissioner has a responsibility to oversee rules and regulations affecting the insurance industry in a manner that benefits the citizens of the state; and

     WHEREAS, The relationship between the health insurance industry and the office of Washington's insurance commissioner recently has been characterized by conflict rather than compromise over rates and other issues related to individual health care coverage; and

     WHEREAS, The continuation of this conflict adversely affects those purchasers who want access to affordable individual health insurance policies;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives request the Health Care Policy Board to meet with representatives of the health insurance industry, the insurance commissioner's office, and other parties of interest as appropriate; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the purpose of these meetings be to develop recommendations to the Legislature for a course of action to resolve the problems adversely affecting access to and the affordability of individual health care, and to resolve differences between members of the industry and the office of the commissioner with the overriding purpose of improving access for individual health care purchasers.

                           --- END ---