The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded the Washington Health Benefit Exchange (WAHBE) a 2021 State Marketplace Modernization Grant. This initiative was funded through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and will allow the 21 State Marketplaces chosen to modernize or update “any system, program, or technology” to ensure that the Marketplaces are compliant … Read more
An average 4.17% rate change has been approved for next year’s Exchange health insurance market. Twelve insurers will sell plans on Washington’s Exchange in 2022. Rates and plans for additional insurers selling only outside of the Exchange are still under review. People who do not get health insurance coverage from their employer shop for insurance in the … Read more
Six Washington State lawmakers — three Republican and three Democratic — gathered last week to discuss pressing health care issues and policies they expect to address in the upcoming 2022 legislative session. The conversations took place during two separate panels at the 2021 Inland Northwest State of Reform Health Policy Conference. Rep. Jessica … Read more
A recently released study funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute found telepsychiatry in rural, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) was a “resounding success” for those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and bipolar disorder. The five-year trial, called The Study to Promote Innovation in Rural Integrated Telepsychiatry (SPIRIT) was designed to “identify the … Read more
Ever since House Bill 1310 was passed this spring, some law enforcement agencies and organizations have expressed concern over what they perceive as a lack of clarity in the bill regarding whether officers can physically intervene when a person is experiencing a behavioral health crisis. They say the vague language in the bill creates new … Read more
Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson delivered the Morning Keynote at the 2021 Inland Northwest State of Reform Health Policy Conference last Thursday, where he discussed critical health care issues facing the state and what he hopes to achieve as Attorney General. Ferguson specifically discussed his office’s involvement in the Purdue opioid lawsuit … Read more
At the 2021 Inland Northwest State of Reform Health Policy Conference, senior representatives from the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) gave updates on several initiatives currently being pursued at the agency. Charissa Fotinos, MD, interim medicaid director at HCA, highlighted some of the legislative priorities that will be included in the agency’s budget request … Read more
We hosted our 2021 Inland Northwest State of Reform Health Policy Conference last week, bringing together thought leaders, legislators, and policy experts into multi-silo conversations about the future of health care in Washington. Too often, those with good ideas for reforming health care don’t have a solid understanding of how the legislative process … Read more
The Washington State Department of Corrections received a “failing” grade for its response to COVID-19, according to a new report by the Prison Policy Initiative. The report compiled data and evaluated pandemic responses in prison systems from all 50 states, evaluating them on four categories related to the state’s efforts to limit transmission … Read more
The long-term care workforce crisis is a national issue, but an especially pressing one in Washington State. With a rapidly aging population across the state, as well as a diminishing number of workers entering long-term care, the labor shortage could be detrimental to meeting the demand of the populations in need. Bea Rector, … Read more