Senate Budget Proposal on Hospital Safety Net Assessment Program   WSHA is still working to clarify the Senate proposal for the hospital safety net program, but it’s becoming clear that... Read More >>

The Washington State Senate released its budget proposal today. One of the biggest pieces of news out of the Senate budget is the treatment of Hospital Safety Net Assessment funds.... Read More >>

The state House of Representatives released its proposed operating budget today, with a lot of good news for health care. This is one of the best budgets we have ever... Read More >>

Two big telemedicine bills have hearings this week. Our primary focus continues to be on SB 5175, which requires commercial and Medicaid health plans to reimburse providers for health care... Read More >>

Mental health is a top policy and budget priority for WSHA this year, and for legislators as well. The Supreme Court case on psychiatric boarding helped bring the issue to... Read More >>

Overview of the Week The caucus and floor action continues as we approach this week’s cutoff for bills to be voted on and passed by their house of origin. Since... Read More >>

Bills that impact the state budget had another major cutoff last week, when they were supposed to have been voted on by their fiscal committees. By March 11, bills must... Read More >>

It was an exciting week leading up to Friday’s cutoff for bills to be voted out of their committee. (Cutoff calendar is here) To make it easy, we’ve listed all... Read More >>

Representatives Joe Schmick and Eileen Cody have introduced a bill that would prohibit the Department of Health from giving a Certificate of Need (CN) for a purchase, sale, or lease... Read More >>

HB 1946, sponsored by Rep. Laurie Jinkins, would tax hospitals at 6 percent of revenue to fund a “Wellness Trust.” The trust would be used to fund local public health... Read More >>