2026 Washington State of Reform Health Policy Conference

Details coming soon.

As Washington navigates the evolving healthcare landscape, this panel will explore opportunities to collaborate across agencies and sectors to minimize enrollment losses. Experts will also highlight how technological and non-technological solutions responding to short-term disruptions may yield longer-term improvements in consumers’ healthcare experiences.

This panel will examine how King County and Washington State can leverage the expansion of behavioral health infrastructure and evolving payment‑rate legislation to maximize new capacity and strengthen service delivery across the continuum of care. Panelists will explore timing estimates for facility openings and program launches, emerging strategies for aligning facility development with workforce and community‑based services, and the roles of key stakeholders—managed care organizations (MCOs), community‑based organizations (CBOs), county behavioral health administrative services organizations, and state agencies—in orchestrating this growth. The discussion will illuminate how to operationalize capacity gains through equitable access, performance monitoring, and sustainable reimbursement models to ensure that investments translate into improved outcomes for individuals experiencing significant behavioral‑health needs.

This panel will dive into the evolving landscape of prior authorization policy in Washington ’s healthcare system, with a sharp focus on how stakeholders can harness artificial intelligence and pursue standardization across health plans. Panelists will discuss recent regulatory advances, how AI can be safely and effectively deployed to speed authorization decisions, and how standardizing prior authorization guidelines, submission formats, and decision‑time metrics across multiple commercial and state‑regulated health plans can reduce administrative burden and improve access to care.

In the midst of tightened federal funding, Washington is ramping up state‑level investments and empowering local governments to improve housing access and availability. Panelists will highlight what cities and counties are doing—from adopting housing action plans and updating zoning to using incentives like local sales‑tax sharing to fund affordable and supportive housing. They will also examine landmark state reforms such as required “middle‑housing” zoning and reduced parking mandates to spur supply.

This panel will examine the transformative potential of the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) waiver application submitted by the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA), focusing on what the state has proposed, how it aligns with federal guidance, and what lies ahead in the path to implementation. Panelists will unpack the key elements of Washington’s RHTP submission, including commitments to strengthen rural hospital sustainability, expand workforce recruitment and retention, deploy telehealth and remote monitoring technologies, enhance behavioral health and substance use disorder services in underserved areas, and build cross‑provider strategic partnerships.

This panel will reflect on the progress made in strengthening Washington State’s behavioral health crisis response system and chart a forward‑looking roadmap for deeper collaboration across the healthcare sector. Topics will include real‑time data sharing, early warning systems for community‑level risk, deployment of co‑response models (pairs of behavioral health clinicians with first responders), creation of alternative safe‑spaces and walk‑in crisis relief centers, and workforce readiness. The discussion will explicitly surface barriers and enablers to cross‑sector collaboration, highlight how to scale and sustain innovations, and propose concrete next steps for healthcare sector stakeholders eager to contribute to a proactive, integrated crisis‑response ecosystem in Washington.

Washington’s Complex Discharge Pilot is helping to support patients who are medically ready to leave the hospital but remain admitted due to barriers in post-acute placement, behavioral health needs, housing instability, guardianship issues, or system fragmentation. This panel will discuss the early lessons learned, including strategies for addressing regulatory and funding gaps, expanding post-acute and housing capacity, and building cross-sector coordination. Attendees will gain insights into how the pilot’s design, data framework, and emerging results are shaping statewide efforts to reduce discharge delays, free up hospital capacity, and ensure safe, equitable transitions of care.

This panel will explore the evolving landscape of primary care innovation in Washington State, with a focus on how team‑based models can better serve higher‑need populations and how interoperability—including the role of a Community Information Exchange (CIE)—can support that shift. Panelists will examine the state’s strategy under the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA)’s Primary Care Transformation Initiative (PCTI), where payment reforms, the Primary Care Practice Recognition (PCPR) program, and a Multi‑Payer Collaborative aim to align incentives and raise the standard of primary care delivery.

This panel will explore innovative, collaborative solutions to the pressing public health challenges facing Washington State, with a special focus on vaccine policy and the role of misinformation in undermining community health. Panelists will review how the state is advancing vaccine access, dive into strategies for strengthening cross‑sector collaboration, and discuss how to leverage communication campaigns, local trusted messengers, data‑driven outreach to under‑vaccinated populations, and policies that improve equitable access, while identifying the persistent barriers that must be addressed.

Description coming soon.

As Washington advances toward more integrated and person-centered care, interoperability across health and social service systems is critical. This panel will explore how platforms like TRAX, the Health Care Management and Coordination System (HCMACS), the Community Information Exchange (CIE), and the Health Information Exchange (HIE) are working to bridge data silos and support coordinated service delivery. Panelists will discuss the current state of cross-system integration, highlight successes and persistent barriers, and share strategies for improving data sharing across clinical, behavioral health, and social care sectors.

Washington State’s 1115 Medicaid Transformation Waiver has been a cornerstone for piloting innovative approaches to whole-person care, but as the state looks ahead, there is growing urgency to shift from short-term experimentation to long-term system redesign. This panel will explore how the waiver’s initiatives—such as complex discharge planning, supportive housing, and Health Home programs—can evolve into sustainable components of Washington’s broader healthcare framework. Panelists will also examine alternative federal authorities, including State Plan Amendments (SPAs) and 1915 waivers, as potential pathways for institutionalizing successful models. Join us for a forward-looking discussion on the future of Medicaid transformation and what it will take to embed equity, integration, and person-centered care into the fabric of Washington’s health system.

Washington State has long been a leader in expanding access to healthcare, with bold commitments toward achieving universal coverage. As federal policies shift and economic pressures grow, how can the state sustain and build on this progress? This panel will explore the policy, financing, and delivery system strategies needed to maintain momentum toward universal coverage, including Medicaid expansion, the Cascade Care public option, and efforts to cover undocumented residents. Panelists will discuss the challenges of affordability, enrollment, equity, and political will, and offer insights into how Washington can continue to lead the nation in ensuring that every resident has access to comprehensive, high-quality care.

This panel will explore how Washington state can strengthen behavioral health supports for children within primary care settings. We will focus on the unique opportunities and challenges of integrating behavioral and developmental health services into pediatric and family medicine. Topics will include the evidence-based Healthy Steps model, early‐intervention strategies for the caregiver–child dyad, ensuring parity in coverage across Medicaid and commercial plans, and the role of school-based health settings in supporting kids.

Washington is leading a broad, collaborative effort to make healthcare more affordable and accessible for all residents. Through partnerships among state agencies, hospitals, health plans, providers, and community organizations, Washington’s health sector is aligning strategies to curb rising costs while improving outcomes and equity. This panel will highlight the collective work driving these efforts but also discuss the remaining challenges in lowering healthcare costs and how the state can address them.

In an era of increasing climate-related disasters, public health crises, and complex emergency responses, Washington’s health sector faces unprecedented challenges — and opportunities — to build resilience. This panel brings together leaders from hospitals, public health agencies, emergency management, and community organizations to explore how the state is preparing for and responding to health emergencies.

Details coming soon.