The Washington State Hospital Association is disappointed with the Senate Republican’s attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – called the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017. The bill contains modified versions of many of the provisions from the House’s American Health Care Act (AHCA) and will result in dramatically fewer Washingtonians having access to health care. Our initial reaction is that this bill is worse for our state’s Medicaid program and hospitals and health systems than the House’s version of the bill. ... Read More >>

The Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA) strongly criticized the Senate’s health care reform bill, released today.... Read More >>

Commissioner Mike Kreidler announced June 19 that Premera will offer health plans in Grays Harbor County. Klickitat County remains without any individual insurance options. Commissioner Kreidler and his staff are engaged in negotiations to see if a willing insurer can be found. Five counties (Ferry, Grays Harbor, Pend Oreille, Skagit and Skamania) will have only one insurer in 2018. Clallam and Wahkiakum counties will have two insurers, but through the same parent company.... Read More >>

Last week the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) gave notice that Grays Harbor and Klickitat counties would have no individual health care insurance options in 2018.... Read More >>

In the wake of the recent insurance carrier filings with the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, there is substantial discussion about how to stabilize the individual health insurance market in Washington State.... Read More >>

The Health Care Authority recently sent guidance regarding the potential effect of a partial state government shutdown if a 2017-19 state budget is not enacted by July 1, 2017, particularly its effect on the Washington Apple Health (Medicaid) program and the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) Program.... Read More >>

The Washington hospital safety net assessment program includes a Medicaid quality incentive.  Under the incentive provision, prospective payment hospitals that meet certain quality measures receive a one percent increase to their Medicaid inpatient payment rate.... Read More >>

With recent changes in the law, the hospital safety net assessment program has new provisions for the quality incentive program.  Under these provisions, hospitals must be in compliance with existing Department of Health financial reporting requirements to qualify for the quality incentive payment.... Read More >>

WSHA recently released a bulletin explaining details of counties’ decisions to pursue “mid-adopter” status for financial integration of Medicaid benefits for behavioral health.... Read More >>

The Health Care Authority has begun the application process for the SFY 2018 Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) program for hospitals other than those participating in the Certified Public Expenditures program.... Read More >>