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| |  | As healthcare costs rise, more Seattleites will have to turn to free resources like the Seattle/King County Clinic. (JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images) |
| WA Health Insurers Seek 22% Rate Hike | Health insurers are asking the state insurance commissioner to approve an average 22.4% rate increase for individual plans. This is the third year in a row that insurers have requested an average rate increase in the double-digits. Among the 13 companies that will sell individual insurance plans in Washington, the rate increases range from 8.6% to 27.8%. [The Seattle Times] | - 💵 Individuals, self-employed, or unemployed to be most impacted: In Washington, that means over 280,000 people would be affected. An official with the state insurance commissioner told The Seattle Times this could lead to people becoming uninsured.
- ⏳ Only a matter of time until rates increase: The state insurance commissioner is obligated to approve rate increases as long as the requests are mathematically sound. Companies often cite rising healthcare costs and increased demand as reasons why they need to increase the rate. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner will announce the approved rate increases around Labor Day.
- 💲 Wait, things do get worse: With the expiration of Affordable Care Act tax credits last year, enrollment rates in individual plans had already dropped by almost 13% statewide. While some of those individuals may not have enrolled in individual plans due to finding insurance elsewhere, many likely choose to remain uninsured due to the high costs. We will have to wait to see how many more become priced out of insurance if these new rates are approved.
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| What Seattle’s Talking About |
| 🚲 ‘Bike Weekends’ Drive Controversy in South Seattle: Last weekend was the city’s first Bicycle Weekend of the year. The program closes Lake Washington Boulevard from Seward Park to Mount Baker Beach to motorized through-traffic; it’s been around for decades, and this year, Mayor Wilson announced expanded hours and dates for the event. Warring op-eds in the South Seattle Emerald argue for and against bike weekends. [South Seattle Emerald] | - On today's podcast, hear from journalist Glenn Nelson, who wrote about how Bicycle Weekends affect South Seattle residents.
| | 🧑⚖️ Seattle Children’s Racial Discrimination Verdict Stands: The Washington Court of Appeals unanimously affirmed the verdict that the hospital system created a hostile work environment for Dr. Benjamin Danielson due to his race. He was awarded $21 million in damages. [The Seattle Times] | |  | On May 26, 2026, the Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility had an implosion that led to 11 people being presumed dead. (Photo by Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images) |
| ⚠️ Columbia River Contaminated: After an implosion at a paper and pulp mill in Longview on Tuesday that is presumed to have killed 11 people, white liquor from the mill was released into the storm drains, which connect back to the river. White liquor in this context doesn’t refer to an alcoholic beverage, but rather a highly caustic and hazardous chemical the paper industry uses to break down wood for pulp. [KGW8] |
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| — Elizabeth Kauma | Jane C. Hu, Elissa Castles, and Natalia Aldana edited City Cast Seattle this week. |
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