News

Early next week the Senate Health Care Committee is expected to hear House Bill 2114, which provides protection from balance billing for patients who receive care from a non-contracted provider at a hospital that is contracted with their health plan.... Read More >>

The Senate Majority Coalition Caucus released its budget today, and it is overall positive for WSHA's budget priorities. The budget does not include any cuts to hospital-based clinics and also funds several other important health care priorities.... Read More >>

The budget decreases state hospital beds, moves patients to community hospitals and invests in post-acute discharge facilities. ... Read More >>

Senate Bill 5800 will clarify that mental health providers have a duty to warn of a serious or imminent threat to the health or safety of a reasonably identifiable person or persons. They discharge the duty by communicating the threat to the person or persons whose health or safety is threatened or to law enforcement. Once the duty is discharged, limited liability protections are conferred on the provider.... Read More >>

HB 2114 (originally HB 1117) is aimed at protecting patients who use an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgery center, but then receive an additional "balance" bill from an out-of-network provider for care during their stay. WSHA supports protections for patients in emergency situations in which they have no control over who provides their care. However, the bill as currently drafted creates significant administrative burden, cost and liability for hospitals. ... Read More >>

HB 2114 (originally HB 1117) is aimed at protecting patients who use an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgery center, but then receive an additional "balance" bill from an out-of-network provider for care during their stay. SHA supports protections for patients in emergency situations in which they have no control over who provides their care. However, the bill as currently drafted creates significant administrative burden, cost and liability for hospitals.... Read More >>

Last week in this space, we shared our initial concerns about the American Health Care Act. This replacement legislation for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) had just been released. As we further analyzed the specifics of the bill and weighed that analysis against our established principal of preserving coverage for Washingtonians, we reached the conclusion that we cannot support it as currently structured.... Read More >>

WSHA has received some questions from members about how recent executive orders on immigration may impact how hospitals and other health care facilities provide services. While WSHA has not prepared a comprehensive response, we have some resources and information that may be useful.... Read More >>

Nathan Johnson, chief policy officer at the Health Care Authority (HCA), told the WSHA Public Policy Committee at its March meeting that the agency plans to spend $240 million this year on delivery system reform. The HCA will require the nine local Accountable Communities of Health (ACHs) to submit project proposals in September. Each ACH must submit four or more projects, including one on behavioral health integration and one on opioid overuse. ... Read More >>

Wednesday, March 8 was the cutoff for bills to be voted out of their house of origin and move to the opposite house for consideration. There are a number of important bills still alive that WSHA both supports and opposes, including bills related to nurse staffing requirements, mental health providers' duty to warn, balance billing and flexibility in physician contracts.... Read More >>