HB 1686 - DIGEST

Finds that: (1) The cost of health care, along with the number of uninsured persons, is continuing to rise;

(2) Many individuals are uninsured because employers are not given adequate health insurance options that they and their employees can afford;

(3) Due to the increasing number of mandated health benefits, willing small employers are financially unable to provide affordable health insurance to their employees that meets the employees' individual needs;

(4) The purchaser and recipient of health care should have more control over the services and products they purchase; and

(5) It is in the best interest of the people of the state of Washington to contain the significantly increasing costs of malpractice insurance for licensed health care professionals and institutions and noninstitutional care providers in order to ensure the continued availability and affordability of health care services in this state by enacting further reforms to the health care tort liability system.

Declares an intent to: (1) Provide employees with more options in choosing a quality health care plan that meets their individual needs;

(2) Create a moratorium on new mandated health benefits, and require an independent cost-benefit analysis of all current health benefit mandates;

(3) Direct the public employees' benefits board to offer a health savings account option to public employees; and

(4) Enact medical malpractice reforms to stabilize the health care professional liability insurance market, maintain access to affordable quality health care services, and avert the kind of crisis now facing the residents of Washington.