State lawmakers will be at the Capitol the week of Dec. 1 for legislative committee assembly, an annual event intended to provide a preview of the upcoming legislative session that begins on Jan. 12 and allow legislators and stakeholders to reconnect. Standing legislative committees meet in conjunction with the event, with the House Health Care and Wellness Committee receiving updates on artificial intelligence in health care and certificate of need, and the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee considering palliative care and health care pricing transparency. The full schedule of committee meetings can be found here.
WSMA staff will use the opportunity to share information with legislators about our priorities for the 2026 session of maintaining access to care for Medicaid enrollees and increasing reimbursement rates; mitigating the business and occupation tax increase; reforming prior authorization; preserving access to vaccines and preventative services; promoting medical title transparency; and defending against inappropriate scope of practice proposals. We will also be connecting with lobbyists from the physician community and other allies.
Legislative budget writers got marginally good news this week in the final state revenue forecast of the year, with a nominal uptick in anticipated tax collections. The state is still expected to face a considerable deficit of at least $2 billion that will need to be reconciled in the 2026 session, however, following a $16 billion budget gap that was bridged earlier this year through a combination of tax increases and spending cuts.
Further tax increases and budget cuts are expected to be considered in the coming months. On the revenue side of the ledger, a new high-earner income tax is being floated, joining existing proposals to establish a state wealth tax and another to create a payroll tax along the lines of what is in place in the city of Seattle. The WSMA will engage extensively in conversations around the state budget, looking to defend against cuts to health care programs and ensure that tax proposals do not adversely impact physician organizations.