Former Washington State Senator Karen Keiser has been appointed to the Washington Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) Board of Directors, the organization announced this week.

Keiser, who retired last year after serving nearly 30 years in the state Legislature, was appointed by former Gov. Jay Inslee before he left office in mid-January.

“We are excited to welcome Karen Keiser to the Exchange Board. Throughout her time in the Senate, Karen shaped Washington state’s implementation of the Affordable Care Act and championed numerous policies to improve access to high-quality, affordable health care,” said Exchange CEO Ingrid Ulrey. “Her background and expertise will help guide the Exchange into the future.”

Keiser, a longtime advocate for health care reform, played a key role in expanding Washington’s health coverage during her tenure as chair of the Senate Health Care Committee.

“I am so pleased to take on this new role on the Exchange Board,” Keiser said. “When I became Chair of the Senate Health Care Committee, our state’s uninsurance rate was near 16%. With the effective implementation of what was called ‘Obamacare,’ the Exchange successfully reduced our uninsured rate to below 5%. I am thrilled to join the Exchange to protect and expand those gains.”

Keiser represented Washington’s 33rd Legislative District, which includes Burien, Des Moines, Kent, Normandy Park, and SeaTac. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1996 and later to the Senate, where she became its most senior member before her retirement.

Before her political career, Keiser worked as a broadcast journalist in Portland, Denver, and Seattle, and later as the communications director for the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO. She holds degrees in political science from UC Berkeley and a master’s in journalism.

The Washington Health Benefit Exchange oversees Washington Healthplanfinder, the state’s online health insurance marketplace, and Washington Apple Health (Medicaid). Enrollment in Apple Health is available year-round, while the next open enrollment period for Washington Healthplanfinder runs from Nov. 1, 2025, to Jan. 15, 2026.

For more information on health insurance options, visit wahbexchange.org.

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