News

WSHA strongly supports SSB 5271, which provides legal protections for health care providers and facilities on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill amends the state’s current standard of care law to include additional considerations to reflect the challenging practice environment providers have faced during the declared emergency. These challenges have included evolving... Read More >>

2SHB 1272 relates to increased reporting by hospitals on financial data, patient data, and community benefit reporting. WSHA has been negotiating bills relating to financial transparency for several years. Last session, WSHA successfully negotiated a similar bill (HB 2036) to a point where we were neutral.  2SHB 1272 adds additional data reporting and is poised... Read More >>

WSHA strongly supports SHB 1095, which exempts emergency-related state or federal grants from business and occupation (B&O) tax as long as the grants are spent on emergency expenditures consistent with the grant’s terms. WSHA provided input to the Department of Revenue to ensure the exemption also applies to federal and state grants provided through authorized third-party... Read More >>

WSHA strongly supports HB 1316, which extends the expiration date for the Hospital Safety Net Assessment program through the end of fiscal year 2025. The program is scheduled to sunset June 2023 and the extension was needed for purposes of the state’s four-year budget outlook.  The bill passed the House Committee on Appropriations and is... Read More >>

WSHA strongly supports HB 1196 which adds audio-only telephone visits to the definition of telemedicine for payment purposes. This is to ensure access and equity for patients without broadband access or access to or comfort with computer or smartphone technology. The bill passed the House today 94-3 The one change included a removal of hospitals... Read More >>

WSHA opposes House Bill 1160, which places significant restrictions on how hospitals contract with insurance carriers. WSHA testified before the House Health Care and Wellness and Appropriations committees that the bill could cause unintended issues with access and quality of care if carriers choose to contract with hospitals in a fragmented manner. Unfortunately, the bill passed out... Read More >>

WSHA continues to have concerns with 2SSB 5377, which aims to make numerous changes to the public option health plans, which are offered on the Washington health benefit exchange. In the original bill, there were numerous issues that were concerning to hospitals. Those included mandating hospital participation in a public option health plan if it... Read More >>

We are pleased to report that SSB 5271, which provides liability protections for providers responding to COVID-19, has passed the Senate... Read More >>

The recent winter weather has shut down some COVID-19 vaccination clinics across Washington state and disrupted the national vaccine supply chain, delaying vaccine shipments across the country. This has forced many clinics across the state to reschedule many appointments... Read More >>

WSHA is committed to supporting Washington hospitals in ensuring equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Communities of color and low-income communities have been particularly and cruelly impacted by the virus.... Read More >>