Advocacy

Throughout the year, WAFP staff and family physician members actively participate in healthcare policy discussions with legislators, state agency staff, and community partners.

Specific to the legislative session, we'll update the Bill Tracker so you can see the bills of interest to family medicine.

Bill Tracker

2026 Legislative Priorities

The Academy reinforces our commitment to health equity and family medicine with a focus on the following.

Supporting legislation that reinforces the central role of primary care in Washington’s health system, including efforts to:

  • Increase the proportion of overall health spending dedicated to primary care.
  • Expand physician-led, team-based care models to better meet patient needs.
  • Empower family physicians to establish and sustain independent practices.
  • Align payment systems across public and private payers to reduce administrative complexity.
  • Reduce unnecessary legal, administrative, and tax burdens that hinder practice viability.

Supporting policies to improve access to comprehensive, affordable care for all Washingtonians, including measures to:

  • Ensure sustainable access to quality health coverage across all populations.
  • Invest in family medicine residency programs to recruit and retain the next generation of physicians.
  • Sustain Community Health Centers, Rural Health Clinics, and Teaching Health Centers.
  • Protect and expand access to reproductive health services, including abortion care.

Supporting legislation that strengthens public health infrastructure and integrates social supports into care delivery, including initiatives to:

  • Fund public health services and uphold science-based decision-making and guidelines.
  • Guarantee access to essential services including vaccines and immunizations.
  • Prevent disproportionate budget cuts to safety net programs that exacerbate inequities.
  • Embed services addressing social determinants of health, such as food security and housing stability, into primary care settings.

Opposing proposals that undermine the practice of family medicine or compromise patient care, including proposals that would:

  • Cut funding for family medicine education.
  • Impose burdensome or inappropriate training and continuing education requirements on physicians.
  • Expand scope of practice for non-physician providers in ways that compromise patient safety.
  • Lower standards of care or increase risks to patients.