OLYMPIA – The House Appropriations Committee passed the Keep Our Care Act on Monday. Designed to keep hospitals from consolidating if the deal diminishes patients’ access to services, the passage of Senate Bill 5241 would be a significant step in the legislature’s continued efforts to protect reproductive, end-of-life and gender-affirming care.
“Health care consumers deserve to have their care protected when local hospitals are bought up by a bigger system,” said Rep. Tarra Simmons, D-Bremerton, and sponsor of the House companion bill. “This is especially true for our rural communities, where residents may only have the choice of one hospital or clinic. Sending this bill to the Governor would be a big step toward protecting all types of care, but especially end-of-life, gender-affirming and reproductive care.”
The Keep Our Care Act creates a system of public oversight that ensures people’s needs are prioritized over corporate growth. This will protect care and prioritize patients when hospitals merge or are bought by other healthcare systems.
“I have been working on this issue since 2022, and am glad to have partnered with my colleague, Sen. Emily Randall, over the past couple of years,” continued Simmons. “Together, we have championed the Keep Our Care Act. I will work to get this bill to the Governor’s desk and get it across the finish line.”