The Washington State House of Representatives released its proposed budget March 27 for the 2017-2019 biennium. Like the Senate’s budget released the week prior, the House budget includes solid support for WSHA’s priorities. It calls for no cuts to Medicaid payments for hospital-based clinics, includes the hospital safety net assessment, includes good funding for mental health care and reform, and appropriates Medicaid waiver funds (which was mostly not included in the Senate budget).... Read More >>

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on March 24 issued information on training and testing requirements under its final rule establishing new emergency preparedness requirements for Medicare and Medicaid-participating health care facilities.... Read More >>

We all breathed a sigh of relief last Friday when the U.S. House of Representatives did not move forward with the American Health Care Act (AHCA), which was the GOP-drafted legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA, aka “Obamacare”). We are grateful to our state’s congressional delegation for taking the time to understand the issues and the potential impacts the legislation could have had on our state’s communities. We believe the House made the right move by not moving forward.... Read More >>

“We were glad to see the House of Representatives make the decision to not move the American Health Care Act forward," said Chris Bandoli, Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Government Affairs for the Washington State Hospital Association. "This bill would have forced millions of Americans to lose their health insurance and would have made health coverage more expensive and less attainable to millions more.... Read More >>

The Big Picture: The House’s spending plan on WSHA’s key priorities is similar to the Senate’s solid support of needed health care services. Of note: No cuts to Medicaid payments for hospital-based clinics; Hospital safety net assessment included; Mental health care funding and reforms are good; Medicaid waiver funds appropriated (this was mostly not included in the Senate budget)... Read More >>

Five organizations that represent Washington State's largest health care delivery systems, physicians and providers are stating their opposition to the American Health Care Act. The Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA), Washington State Medical Association (WSMA), Washington Association of Community and Migrant Health Centers (WACMHC), and the Community Health Network of Washington (CHNW), along with its subsidiary non-profit managed care company, Community Health Plan of Washington (CHPW), are calling on Congress to reject the House proposal that puts their patients at risk. Collectively, these groups represent 107 hospitals, 267 clinics, 10,000 physicians and other providers, 315,000 members, and more than 17 million patient visits a year statewide.... Read More >>

The state Senate Majority Coalition Caucus released its budget March 21, marking one of the milestones of this year’s legislative session. We are pleased with the Senate budget, which does not include any cuts to hospital-based clinics and funds several important health care priorities, including the Hospital Safety Net Assessment, post-discharge placement for complex patients and nursing home care in small, rural hospitals.... Read More >>

The Washington State Office of Financial Management Health Care Research Center released the brief “Health Coverage Changes Under the ACA for Non-elderly Veterans and Spouses of Veterans in Washington.”... Read More >>

The Senate Coalition Caucus released its budget today, and it is overall positive for WSHA's budget priorities.... Read More >>

The Health Care Authority is updating the grouper and weights used to calculate payments for Medicaid outpatient hospital services by prospective payment hospitals.... Read More >>