This morning the Economic & Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) forecast that revenue collections for the 2019–21 state budget increased by $634 million and by $328 million for the 2021-2023 biennium from the estimated numbers in the September revenue forecast.... Read More >>

Congress has reconvened for its post-election session and is expected to consider several key health care issues.... Read More >>

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Final Transparency Rule requires hospitals to post standard charge information, including negotiated rates in a machine-readable format and provide information for 300 “shoppable services” in a consumer-friendly, searchable format. The rule is effective Jan. 1, 2021.... Read More >>

WSHA’s Government Affairs team has published its update to its State Regulatory Issues webpage. Members will find a comprehensive view of state rulemaking activities that affect them.... Read More >>

The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) is hosting webinars for self-insured employers on the new workers’ compensation laws passed by the legislature this year.... Read More >>

RCW 49.62 requires the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) to establish annual enforceability thresholds for noncompetition agreements between employers and their employees and/or independent contractors. ... Read More >>

While many eyes are on the national scene, WSHA is watching closely several state legislative races. Heading into this election, the Democrats controlled both the House and Senate. The Senate Republicans appear to have picked up one seat in the 19th District (Longview). However, races in the 5th (Issaquah), 10th (Whidbey Island), and 28th (Lakewood/Dupont)... Read More >>

Washingtonians looking to enroll for health coverage on the Health Benefit Exchange may do so between November 1, 2020 and January 15, 2021. For coverage starting January 1, individuals need to enroll in a plan by December 15. Those who enroll after that deadline but before January 15 will have coverage starting on February 1.... Read More >>

United Healthcare (UHC) announced it will delay implementation of a controversial hospital lab billing policy until April 1, 2021. UHC had notified hospitals of a new requirement that they register and bill hospital lab services to UHC using hospital-specific lab codes, rather than the standard CPT codes required by CMS and other carriers. The proposed... Read More >>

November 2, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) finalized additional rulemaking and a concise explanatory statement related to the Balance Billing Protection Act (BBPA), which prohibits balance billing for certain out of network services and provides an arbitration process between carriers and providers for payment disputes. While the basic structure of the BBPA has... Read More >>