LETTER: Are Washington’s Tax Policies Affecting Access to Doctors?

[Editor's Note: The following letter to the editor was submitted by verified Burien resident Gretchen E.]

Personally, I have had multiple primary-care physicians over the past 15 years, as several have retired or left their practices. This has made me increasingly concerned about the long-term availability of physicians and timely access to care in our state.

I recently became aware of a situation in which a friend who had suffered a stroke was unable to obtain an appointment with a cardiologist for approximately nine months. I have also spoken with several physicians who have expressed concerns about the difficulty of maintaining medical practices in the current environment.

I was on the Washington State Medical Association’s website recently to learn more about how Initiative IP26-645 and the state’s recent tax changes may affect physicians. I listened to the 2026 Legislative Session Wrap-Up with Sean Graham, which I found very informative, particularly the discussion of the cumulative increase in the B&O tax burden on physician practices. My understanding is that the B&O tax rates affecting most physician practices have increased by approximately 40% since 2019.

As a private citizen and patient, I am concerned about how these increasing costs, along with the new tax established by SB 6346, could affect access to medical care in Washington, particularly access to specialists. I wonder whether these additional financial pressures could make it more difficult to recruit and retain physicians in Washington or could cause some physicians to consider practicing in other states.

I contacted the WSMA to ask whether they had statistics showing how many physicians have left Washington State in recent years, how many physicians are being recruited to replace them, and whether there are particular specialties experiencing greater shortages or difficulty with recruitment and retention.

Sean Graham responded that WSMA physician members had proposed a resolution opposing Initiative 645, which would repeal the new income tax. In a follow-up response on September 28, he confirmed that WSMA’s House of Delegates had approved the resolution. He acknowledged that there was debate among physician members and that he expected physicians to be somewhat split in how they vote.

Graham also confirmed that B&O taxes on physicians and health care providers have increased by 40% since 2019 and said WSMA would continue advocating for relief from those increases. However, he was not aware of current statistics addressing the physician workforce questions I had raised.

I also contacted Washington’s Office of Financial Management. Mandy Stahre, director of its Health Care Research Center, directed me to existing workforce reports but said she could not find reports specifically forecasting physician supply. She indicated that this could be identified as a data gap in the state’s ongoing health planning work.

If Washington already faces physician workforce shortages, shouldn’t we have better information about whether our tax policies could make those shortages worse?

My concern is not simply how these taxes affect physicians. It is whether patients in Washington will continue to have timely access to the medical care they need.

Gretchen E.
Burien Resident

Note From the Editor: Letters to the Editor reflect the views of their authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of The Highline Journal. To submit a letter, article, story idea, or photo for consideration, email info@thehighlinejournal.com.