This week in Olympia, WSHA testified on HB 1854, which would require the Medicaid managed care plans to assemble an adequate and appropriate network of covered SNFs, monitored and enforced by the Washington State Health Care Authority. It would also create an incentive to place patients at a SNF by creating new fees on the plan if it has not placed the patient in a reasonable amount of time.... Read More >>

An estimated 28.2 million U.S. residents (8.8%) lacked health insurance when surveyed during the first nine months of 2016, according to a report released February 14 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The uninsured rate for adults under age 65 was 9.3% in Medicaid expansion states (like Washington State) and 17.5% in non-expansion states. ... Read More >>

Under current law, national health expenditures are projected to grow an average 5.6% annually during 2016-2025, outpacing average projected growth in gross domestic product by 1.2 percentage points, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Office of the Actuary reported February 15. As a result, the health share of the economy is projected to grow from 17.8% in 2015 to 19.9% by 2025.... Read More >>

Membership update from the February 16, 2017 Weekly Report.... Read More >>

Recent member news from the February 16, 2017 Weekly Report.... Read More >>

How can providers see more patients and maintain excellent patient care while juggling reductions in reimbursement and bundled payment scenarios? This is a question on the forefront of everyone’s minds and has probably caused more than a few sleepless nights.... Read More >>

hile the future of the Affordable Care Act is in doubt, our local health insurance marketplace — Washington Healthplanfinder — has become more popular than ever. This year, more than 225,000 Washingtonians purchased a plan on the marketplace, marking a 13 percent increase from the year before. Kudos to the leadership of Washington Healthplanfinder for their outstanding work in helping people get the coverage and care they need!... Read More >>

Trios Health in Kennewick has become one of the latest adopters of the service, launching Trios Urgent eCare January 26, which has already showed the rural benefits of telemedicine. The all-hours visits only cost $39 and save patients the difficulty of traveling, especially overnight in treacherous winter weather. It also allows the ER to focus on more serious illnesses and injuries.... Read More >>

State law requires all hospitals provide charity care to help families that struggle with large hospital bills as a result of significant injuries and illnesses. In the past, each hospital developed its own, slightly different process to inform patients and determine if a patient qualified. The variation in notice and forms made it harder for patients to know about and receive financial assistance.... Read More >>

In comments submitted February 2, WSHA asked for additional information on the state’s plans to create new reports from its all payer claims database. The contractor for the database has proposed creation of six reports for the upcoming year. The reports include a facility-based price and quality comparison on “shoppable” inpatient and outpatient procedures, such as vaginal delivery and knee arthroscopy. WSHA expressed its support for the database but asked for additional information on factors used to ensure fair comparisons.... Read More >>