Abstract: The lubricious hydrophilic coatings of the invention include a hydrophilic polyolefin such as polyvinyl-pyrrolidone and a water-insoluble stabilizing polymer such as a cellulose ester. The coatings may also include an adherent polymer and a plasticizing agent. The coatings are significantly more lubricious when wet than when dry, are adherent to a variety of substrates, and are resistant to removal by wet abrasion. The coating method of the invention involves preparing a solution of the stabilizing polymer and a solution of the hydrophilic polyolefin, and coating the substrate first in one then the other. Alternatively, both the insolubilizing and hydrophilic polymers may be dissolved in a single solvent system and applied to the substrate in a single step. The solutions of the invention are stable, non-reactive, and non-hazardous. The coatings of the invention may be applied to biomedical devices and implants such as catheters, condoms, and nasogastric and endotracheal tubes.