Today, the House and Senate each released their proposed 2020 supplemental operating budgets. While both budgets are very positive for health care, the Senate budget is more favorable for WSHA’s top budget priorities. Neither budget proposes cuts to hospitals or health care.
Since adjourning last year, the Legislature has about $500 million in new revenue in this supplemental budget. This increased revenue contains some one-time collection of estate taxes paid to the state – meaning this is not an ongoing revenue source. The Senate budget proposes to appropriate $115 million for homelessness shelters and programs, $100 million for climate resiliency activities, and $375 million in increases for behavioral health and health care, long-term care and developmental disabilities. The House budget proposes to increase funding by $75 million for supportive housing, $100 million for housing trust fund programs, and $214 million for behavioral health and health care, and long-term care and development disabilities.
The big-picture highlights of the House proposed budget include:
- $15 million state funds ($43.6 million total funds) in Medicaid rate increases for primary care providers
- $3 million state funds ($8.3 million total funds) for primary care behavioral health rate increases
- $8.4 million in state funds only to replace lost federal funding to maintain Title X family planning services across the state
- $5 million in state/other funds in one-time appropriation to support monitoring and responding to COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in Washington State
- $7 million for various supports for treating those with substance use disorder and addressing the opioid crisis
- Partially addressing the per diem rate methodology for 90- and 180-day civil commitment beds by only addressing a rate adjustment for one year rather than for all subsequent years
- $25.7 million state funds ($50.2 million total funds) to increase nursing home rates
The big-picture highlights of the Senate proposed budget include:
- $8.7 million in state funds ($17 million total funds) to address DSHS delays that lead to patients being stuck in acute care hospitals waiting for post-acute care
- $1.9 million ($5.3 million total funds) to cover partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs as a Medicaid benefit for youth, starting Jan. 1, 2021 through June 30, 2021
- Adopting a feasible and sustainable rate methodology for hospitals providing 90- and 180-day civil commitment services
- $8.4 million in state funds only to replace lost federal funding to maintain Title X family planning services across the state
- $5 million in state funds ($7 million total funds) in one-time funding to support monitoring and responding to COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in Washington State
- Almost $6.2 million for various supports related to treating those with substance use disorder and addressing the opioid crisis
- $33.6 million state funds ($66 million total) to increase nursing home rates
The next step is for the two bodies to reconcile their differences and produce a budget by March 12, which is the last official day of 2020 legislative session.
Read WSHA’s detailed comparison document here.
WSHA weighing in: Feb. 24-28
WSHA is weighing in on the following bills this week:
Tuesday, Feb. 25
- House Innovation, Technology & Economic Development (10:00am)
- SSB 6065: Establishing the Washington blockchain work group. (David Streeter)
Wednesday, Feb. 26
- Senate Health & Long Term Care (1:30pm)
- ESHB 2036: Concerning health system transparency. (Zosia Stanley)
- SHB 2338: Prohibiting discrimination in health care coverage. (Andrew Busz)
- House Health Care & Wellness (1:30pm)
- SSB 6088: Establishing a prescription drug affordability board. (David Streeter)
- 2SSB 6275: Increasing patient access rights to timely and appropriate post-acute care. (Zosia Stanley)
- ESSB 6404: Adopting prior authorization and appropriate use criteria in patient care. (Andrew Busz)
- Senate Ways & Means (3:30pm)
- ESHB 2786: Establishing the opioid epidemic response advisory council. (Lauren McDonald)
Thursday, Feb. 27
- Behavioral Health Subcommittee to Senate Health & Long Term Care (8:00am)
- HB 2416: Concerning disclosures of information and records related to forensic mental health services. (Zosia Stanley)
- House Health Care & Wellness (1:30pm)
- SB 6359: Creating regulation exemptions for rural health clinics providing services in a designated home health shortage area. (Jacqueline Barton True)
- 2SSB 6591: Establishing a work group to address mental health advance directives. (Jaclyn Greenberg)
Friday, Feb. 28
- Senate Health & Long Term Care (8:00am)
- EHB 1552: Concerning health care provider credentialing by health carriers. (Lauren McDonald)
- 2SHB 1651: Identifying rights of persons receiving state developmental disability services. (Zosia Stanley)
- House Transportation (11:00am)
- SB 6580: Concerning organ transport vehicles. (Andrew Busz)
