During the second special session, the legislature enacted a bill that makes some changes to the purchasing system for K-12 employee health benefits. The current system had been the subject of a February 2011 report by the state auditor, which suggested that the system be streamlined, standardized, and even consolidated. The new bill doesn’t go as far as consolidation; instead, it emphasizes data gathering.

Our policy brief on these changes is available here. For more information on state health care spending, see the Thrive Washington paper Containing Health Care Spending While Improving Outcomes.