News

A Senate Appropriations Subcommittee this week set funding levels for the Department of Health and Human Services for the 2017 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. The HHS funding bill has often been the venue for partisan fights. This week’s action sets the stage for the first Senate floor vote on the HHS spending bill in years. ... Read More >>

Many hospitals are struggling with patients who have completed their acute hospital stay, but for whom post-hospital placement cannot be found. Based on member concerns, a new goal has been added to the WSHA strategic plan: Exploring policy options and process changes to speed up discharge for patients waiting for placement in long-term care facilities.... Read More >>

The House of Representatives this week approved by voice vote legislation that would extend the time hospitals have to qualify to be grandfathered into the existing payment system for services provided in off-campus, provider-based clinics. Washington Rep. Jim McDermott, who serves as the senior Democrat on the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, was the bill’s Democratic sponsor. ... Read More >>

WSHA recently produced and sent analyses of several recent proposed Medicare rules issued by CMS along with hospital-specific impact reports to the Chief Financial Officer and/or other designated finance persons for each facility. This information is to help hospital finance leader understand the impacts of the various rules on your hospitals.... Read More >>

In response to provider and enrollee concerns, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) announced it is considering rule-making to provide more specific requirements related to health plan prior authorizations. The rules would provide make the prior authorization process more predictable and transparent, and they would minimize the burden of the process on consumers.... Read More >>

Panel Clears Hospital Bill: The House Ways and Means Committee has approved legislation that would extend the time hospitals have to qualify to be grandfathered into the existing payment system for services provided in off-campus, provider-based clinics. Washington Rep. Jim McDermott was the lead Democratic sponsor of the measure. WSHA supported the bill.... Read More >>

Hospital leaders across the state are committed to doing our part to stop the opioid abuse epidemic. We are very excited about a new state law that expands access to the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP).... Read More >>

An estimated 15.5 million fewer U.S. adults were uninsured in March 2016 than September 2013, shortly before the Health Insurance Marketplaces opened for enrollment, according to the Urban Institute's latest Health Reform Monitoring Survey. The proportion of uninsured non-elderly adults declined 7.7 percentage points over the period, to 9.9 percent, the survey estimates.... Read More >>

Over the last several years, WSHA has lobbied the state legislature to make significant investments in mental health. This work has resulted in tens of millions of dollars for capital funding for mental health beds. Using this funding, a number of new mental health beds have already opened and many more are in development.... Read More >>

In response to provider and enrollee concerns, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) announced it is considering rulemaking to provide more specific requirements relating to health plan prior authorizations. The rules would provide greater transparency and predictability for the prior authorization process and minimize the burden of the process on consumers.... Read More >>