Last weekend’s mass shooting in Las Vegas is officially the deadliest mass shooting in our country’s history, with at least 59 people dead and more than 520 injured. This horrible display of violence was as shocking as it was tragic. Our hearts go out to the victims, loved ones and caregivers in Las Vegas, and we know we are not immune from such violence here in Washington State.... Read More >>

Open enrollment for Medicaid and private plans starts November 1. The federal budget for promoting enrollment was dramatically cut this year, so it’s going to be up to states and providers to ensure that residents get signed up for health coverage.... Read More >>

Senate Republicans decided on Tuesday not to hold a vote on the latest bill that would have repealed major parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), resulting in drastic coverage reductions, huge budget deficits for the state government, financial harm to hospitals and ultimately worse health outcomes for Washington residents.... Read More >>

To provide a status report on the Washington all payer claims database, to encourage you to review the claims data for your hospital, and to have a member of your staff participate in a WSHA webinar on September 26th.... Read More >>

Senate Republicans are making a last-ditch effort at repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) through budget reconciliation, racing to beat a September 30 deadline to pass a bill with just 50 votes (plus a tie-breaking vote from Vice President Pence). The bill would replace federal funds for Medicaid expansion and subsidies for individual market insurance sold in the marketplaces with a lump sum block grant for states. It would also repeal the ACA’s individual and employer mandates while giving states flexibility in enforcement of additional consumer protections.... Read More >>

The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) in August announced a new clinical policy on opioid prescribing for Apple Health (Medicaid). This new policy takes effect November 1 and is intended to support providers in achieving appropriate opioid prescribing patterns. WSHA and the Washington State Medical Association worked closely with HCA in the development of this new policy.... Read More >>

WSHA and member hospitals are participating a stakeholder group, along with the Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) to discuss HCA’s plan to revise its payment policy for potentially preventable hospital readmissions. HCA plans to return to a policy where readmissions within 14 days of a hospital discharge can be individually reviewed and denied if determined to be a provider preventable admission.... Read More >>

All nine Accountable Communities of Health (ACHs) have passed phase 2 certification, a critical achievement in the Medicaid Transformation Demonstration. Their success signals another step toward the 2021 goal of whole person health care and better management of state resources.... Read More >>

Four Republican Senators have introduced a new attempt to repeal and replace large portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), racing to beat a September 30 deadline to pass any such reform under reconciliation rules with a bare majority of 50 votes (plus Vice President Pence). Sens. Graham (SC), Cassidy (LA), Heller (NV) and Johnson (WI) have proposed a bill that would replace federal funds for Medicaid expansion and subsidies for individual market insurance sold in the marketplaces with a lump sum block grant for states to use for unspecified health care purposes.... Read More >>

WSHA was well-represented at this week’s American Hospital Association (AHA) Regional Policy Board (RPB) meeting in Washington, D.C. RPBs play a key role in AHA’s policy formation process. This week’s sessions focused on considering options for Medicaid reform and identifying hospital priorities for an infrastructure package.... Read More >>