2025 Inland Northwest State of Reform Health Policy Conference

As federal health policy continues to evolve under the Trump Administration, rural health systems across Washington State are bracing for potential changes that could reshape healthcare. This panel will examine the implications of key policy shifts—from Medicaid waivers and eligibility changes to prescription drug pricing and regulatory rollbacks—and how they uniquely affect rural providers, patients, and communities. Panelists will also explore the growing influence of the federal courts in shaping health policy, with recent legal battles over the Affordable Care Act, preventive care mandates, and reproductive health access carrying high stakes for rural health systems already operating on the margins. 

This panel will discuss the work being done to increase access to prescription drugs for patients, with a particular focus on the 340B program’s critical role in supporting access to affordable medications in rural areas like the Inland Northwest. Speakers will discuss how to address barriers to medication access including work to reform the prior authorization process, and how to make high-cost drugs more affordable for patients who need them. 

Washington State has made significant strides in reimagining mental health crisis response—especially in rural and underserved regions like the Inland Northwest. This panel will provide a timely update on the current state of the 988 hotline implementation and Regional Crisis Line transition efforts across Regional Service Areas (RSAs). Speakers will examine the transformative role of Washington’s new crisis dispatch teams—mobile, community-based responders who are trained to de-escalate mental health emergencies —and provide coordination of post-crisis stabilization services. The discussion will explore how these teams are being deployed, the challenges of rural coverage, and the opportunities for integrating them more fully into the broader behavioral health system. 

This panel will explore the unique strengths and challenges of tribal healthcare delivery in rural Washington, with a focus on the critical role Medicaid plays in supporting services and infrastructure. Panelists will discuss the complexities of Medicaid reimbursement for tribal providers, opportunities for policy alignment with tribal sovereignty, and innovative approaches tribes are taking to integrate behavioral health, primary care, and traditional healing practices. The conversation will also address ongoing barriers—including workforce shortages, transportation gaps, and administrative burdens—that disproportionately impact rural tribal health systems. 

Across Washington’s rural communities, the healthcare workforce shortage is more than a challenge—it’s a crisis. From primary care providers to behavioral health specialists, recruiting and retaining professionals in rural areas is essential to ensuring access, equity, and continuity of care. This panel will explore effective, on-the-ground strategies for growing and supporting the rural healthcare workforce, with a special focus on the role Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) play in this effort. 

In the Inland Northwest region, providers and health systems are beginning to harness artificial intelligence (AI) tools to enhance patient care, streamline operations, and address persistent challenges unique to rural and underserved communities. This panel will explore the emerging role of AI across the regional healthcare landscape, from predictive analytics and diagnostic support to administrative automation and workforce augmentation. Panelists will discuss how rural providers are leveraging AI to overcome barriers while also addressing ethical considerations around equity, data privacy, and algorithmic bias. 

Washington State is taking bold steps to ensure mental health parity by aligning public and private insurance systems to provide equitable access to behavioral health care. This panel will explore how the state is enforcing mental health parity laws, including the Mental Health Parity Act, and advancing legislation such as House Bill 1432 to standardize medical necessity criteria across insurers. Panelists will discuss efforts to integrate Medicaid with private coverage to streamline access, reduce disparities, and enhance transparency. 

Acute hospitals across the state struggled with successfully discharging people with complex physical, behavioral and social needs to more appropriate community-based settings. The Complex Discharge Pilot project has brought together state agency leaders, acute care hospitals from across the state, skilled nursing providers, tribal leaders and others to develop a new model of care and recommendations to help address these challenges.  This panel will share insights from this work and some identified next steps, with a focus on specific issues for rural and tribal communities.

Washington State is leading the way in transforming care for individuals dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare. This panel will explore how the state is improving care coordination, streamlining benefits, and addressing social determinants of health through integrated models and strategic partnerships. 

County and local public health agencies are on the front lines of community well-being, and they’re doing so amid persistent funding uncertainty and evolving public health demands. From infectious disease response to behavioral health and environmental health monitoring, local health jurisdictions are balancing increasing responsibilities with limited and often unpredictable resources. Panelists will explore the challenges of sustaining essential services in rural and frontier counties, ongoing efforts to modernize public health infrastructure, and the promise of new data initiatives aimed at improving health equity and decision-making. 

Hear from some of the most influential leaders on health policy reform in the Washington State Legislature. These lawmakers will discuss the main takeaways from this year’s session, legislation they’re supporting, and the healthcare reform work they’re prioritizing moving forward. 

Details coming soon.