How the Delegate Council Shapes Policy
The KCMS Delegate Council develops physician-driven policy that guides KCMS advocacy in Olympia with our KCMS lobbyist, and throughout Washington. While KCMS participates in the WSMA House of Delegates, KCMS also advances policy priorities independently through direct legislative advocacy and engagement with policymakers.
Many KCMS policy proposals move through the WSMA policy cycle, but KCMS may also pursue advocacy strategies outside that process when needed to ensure that King County physicians’ perspectives are represented.
Policy Development Timeline
Spring
Idea Development
Physicians propose new resolutions addressing clinical practice, patient care, public health, or physician well-being.
Summer
Drafting & Review
Authors work with KCMS staff to draft and refine resolution language. Proposals are reviewed.
August
KCMS Delegate Council Vote
Delegates review proposed resolutions and vote if KCMS will endorse them as KCMS policy.
September
Statewide Policy Consideration
KCMS-endorsed resolutions can be submitted to WSMA, and considered as statewide medical policy.
Year-Round
KCMS Advocacy
KCMS continues to advance physician-driven priorities directly, working with KCMS lobbyist, elected officials, and policymakers.
KCMS Delegate Council
The Physician Voice of King County
The KCMS Delegate Council is where physician experience becomes policy, shaping legislation, clinical practice, public health, and the future of medicine. Physicians across King County develop and debate positions on legislation, scope of practice, reimbursement, and professional standards.
These physician-driven priorities guide KCMS advocacy in Olympia and beyond. While KCMS collaborates with the Washington State Medical Association (WSMA), it maintains an independent policy agenda, advancing physician priorities directly through its own advocacy strategy, lobbyist, and relationships with policymakers.
KCMS also contributes to statewide policy through participation in the WSMA House of Delegates, ensuring that the perspectives of King County physicians inform broader medical policy across Washington.
Current Legislative Activity
KCMS engages in legislation that affects patient access, physician practice, and public health. Positions and bill status may evolve as legislation moves through the process.
Top Priorities
Prior Authorization Reform
SHB 1566 / E2SSB 5395
Reducing administrative barriers that delay patient care and improving transparency and accountability in prior authorization determinations.
Practice Sustainability & Access to Care
Addressing timely payment, workforce shortages, coverage policies, and administrative burden that affect physician practices and patient access to care.
Firearm Injury Prevention
HB 2320
Supporting evidence-based public health approaches to reducing firearm-related injury and death.
Legislation KCMS Supported in 2026
Access, Coverage & Affordability
- SB 5845 — Timely payment requirements for health carriers
- SB 6183 — Coverage for HIV antiviral drugs
- SB 5577 — Medicaid coverage for HIV antiviral drugs
- SB 5917 — Improving access to reproductive medications
- SSB 5975 — Regulation of lead in cookware
Practice Environment & Accountability
- HB 1675 — Corporate practice of medicine/private equity
- HB 2261 — Transparency in credentials and communications
- SB 5162 — Workplace violence prevention in health care
- HB 2176 — Collaborative drug therapy agreements
- HB 1306 — IMG preceptorship and supervised pathways
- SB 6258 — Nondisciplinary pathway to relinquish medical licenses
Technology, Data & Artificial Intelligence
- HB 2503 — Artificial intelligence training data transparency
- HB 2157 — High-risk AI and algorithmic discrimination
- SHB 2157 / SB 6120 — Regulation of high-risk AI systems
Public Health & Prevention
- HB 2320 — Regulation of firearm manufacturing
- SB 6116 — Restore funding for cancer research
- SB 5985 — Endometriosis awareness and care
- HB 2401 — Washington State Commission on Boys and Men
Become a KCMS Delegate
Physicians advocate for their patients every day. The Delegate Council is where that advocacy moves beyond the bedside and into policy.
Delegates help:
- Develop KCMS policy resolutions
- Represent King County physicians in statewide policy debates
- Shape legislation affecting clinical practice and patient care
- Bring real-world clinical insight into public policy discussions
No prior policy experience is required, and KCMS staff provide support throughout the process.
Interested in serving?
📩 To learn more or express interest in serving as a delegate:
info@kcmsociety.org
Why the Delegate Council Matters
KCMS policy resolutions help shape the conversations that influence healthcare policy in Washington. Through the Delegate Council, physicians bring frontline clinical experience into discussions that affect how medicine is practiced and how patients receive care.
KCMS-authored policies have helped drive statewide dialogue on issues including:
- Prior authorization reform
- Physician workforce development
- Artificial intelligence in healthcare
- Corporate ownership of medical practices
- Public health and prevention
By participating in the Delegate Council, physicians ensure that health policy reflects clinical reality, protects the integrity of medical practice, and prioritizes the needs of patients and communities.
Delegate Lists
Amish Dave, MD
Bruce Smith, MD
Greg Engel, MD
Matthew Grierson, MD
Richard Kaner, MD
Mark Levy, MD
Kevin Johnson, MD
Mark Vossler, MD
Teresa Girolami, MD
Sara Pauk, MD
Megha Rao, MD
Michelle Terry, MD
Donald Ross, MD
Hope Wechkin, MD
Ray Hsiao, MD
Chris Belcher, MD
Ellen Passloff, MD
Nancy Connolly, MD
Ellen Thomason Derrick, MD
Mona Kathuria, DO
Rajneet S. Lamba, MD
Daniel Low, MD
Anna Walton, MD
Sara Pauk, MD
Rajesh Subramanian, MD
Irene Young, MD
Julia Murray, MD
Jeffrey Frankel, MD
Mary Ellen Walker, MD
Barry Grosskopf, MD
Mark Flannery, MD
Gregory Engel, MD
Erin Bauer, MD