Policy / Advocacy

Special Reports

Presentation	Testimony on the Uninsured, January 2012 This testimony was delivered as part of a House Health and Human Services Appropriations and Oversight Committee work session on the uninsured. It was given by Len McComb from WSHA; Harry Geller, CEO, Othello Community Hospital; and Dr. Dan Lessler, Associate Medical Director, Harborview Medical Center.
	Payment Level Comparison Between Public Programs and Commercial Health Plans for Washington State Hospitals This report, prepared by Milliman, Inc., a nationally recognized consulting and actuarial firm, quantifies the impact of Medicare and Medicaid under-payments on hospital and physician charges to those with private insurance. The study estimates the annual burden of government under-payment was more than $1 billion in 2004, or $900 per family. The study was sponsored by Premera. view / download .pdf (Adobe Acrobat required)
	Business of Caring The report details research recently completed by Dr. William Beyers, professor of geography at the University of Washington. Among the report's key findings about hospitals: More than two additional jobs are created for every hospital job –an estimated total of 204,000 jobs, Hospitals purchase goods and services totaling $2.8 billion – and more than 90 percent of these goods and services are purchased in Washington State. view / download .pdf (Adobe Acrobat required)

	Inpatient Mental Health: Community Hospitals in Crisis Washington State's grossly inadequate funding of the public mental health system has created a crisis of inpatient and residential treatment capacity to meet the needs of its mentally ill residents. While the two state hospitals continue to downsize, inadequate hospital payments force community hospitals to close their mental health units, and the availability of residential treatment facilities remains inadequate. Patients are not receiving timely, appropriate mental health care for lack of inpatient and residential treatment options. view / download .pdf (Adobe Acrobat required)

	Trauma System Needs More Funds Preserving Washington state's nationally-recognized trauma system is important to every resident. The system is under-funded due to significant increases in emergency and trauma volume, unisured patients, and administrative expenses. Only the infusion of new state and federal money can keep the system as comprehensive as it must be to keep saving lives. This paper outlines the issue and potential solutions. view / download .pdf (Adobe Acrobat required)

	Specialty Hospitals Specialty hospitals skim the cream of the highest margin surgeries and services, thereby damaging general, community hospitals' ability to meet their broader community mission. WSHA wants to even the playing field between specialty and general hospitals. view / download .pdf (Adobe Acrobat required)