| Social and Economic Policy Everyone should have access to affordable, quality healthcare across a full spectrum of services, from preventative care to inpatient hospitalization, with a workforce sufficient to provide these services with the goal of a publicly funded universal system. Issue Team Chair: Jody Disney, jdisney@lwvwa.org, (520) 468-9499 |
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Overview The League at both the state and national level supports access to affordable and quality healthcare for all. Restrictions to access, provider availability, cost as well as varying reimbursement levels plague our healthcare system. The number one cause of personal bankruptcy in this nation is healthcare. Inequity in the system is rampant, your zip code defines the healthcare available to you as well as the quality. During the last session legislation was passed addressing some of these issues. The most transformative legislation related to healthcare was HB 1866, the Apple Home & Healthcare Bill linking health to housing. Other gains in healthcare were made in holding down cost, expanding scope of practice, equity related to choice in healthcare; and including the consumer voice in defining how care is imagined and delivered. In the upcoming session, it is likely that legislation will be introduced to increase the healthcare workforce, facilitate access to health services in underserved areas and for underserved populations, and provide more health services in locations convenient and familiar such as schools and physicians’ offices. As well, creativity in legislation considering other locations as in outpatient centers and community-based centers for care. An example of this thinking for maternal issues might include healthcare providers such as doulas, midwives, and community health advisors (CHAs). Personal choice in healthcare legislation will require our determined advocacy this session.
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| House Bills | House | Senate | After Passage | |||||||||
| Bill # | Bill Name (Brief Title) | League Position | Take Action | In Committee | On Floor Calendar | Passed | In Committee | On Floor Calendar | Passed | Passed Legislature | On Governor's Desk | Signed |
| HB 1027 | Concerning telemedicine. | Supports | x |
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| HB 1115 | Cost Sharing for Abortion Care. |
Supports | x |
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| HB 1155 | Addressing the collection, sharing, and selling of consumer health data. | Supports | x |
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| HB 1222 | Requiring coverage for hearing Instruments. | Supports | x |
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HB 1281 |
Increasing access to the provisions of the Death with Dignity Act. |
Supports | x |
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Concerning actions by health professions’ disciplining authorities against license holders and applicants. |
Supports | x |
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| HB 1469 | Concerning actions by health professions' disciplining authorities against license holders and applicants. | Supports | x |
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| HB 1508 |
Improving Health Care Consumer Affordability through the Health Care Cost Transparency Board. | Supports | x |
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| HB 1593 | Concerning industrial insurance coverage for posttraumatic stress disorders affecting registered nurses. | Supports | x |
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| HB 1678 |
Establishing and authorizing the profession of dental therapy. | Supports | | x |
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These weekly updates will provide you with a "deep dive" into the progress of each bill, along with more analysis of the potential impact of the bill if it should pass.
- Weekly Report 1.15.23— Read Here
- Weekly Report 1.22.23— Read Here
- Weekly Report 1.29.23— Read Here
- Weekly Report 2.5.23— Read Here
- Weekly Report 2.12.23— Read Here
- Weekly Report 2.19.23— Read Here
- Weekly Report 2.26.23— Read Here
- Weekly Report 3.5.23— Read Here
- Weekly Report 3.12.23— Read Here
- Weekly Report 3.19.23— Read Here
HB 1027/SB 5036 Concerning telemedicine.Extends the time frame (until 01/2027) in which real-time telemedicine using both audio and video technology may be used. In rural and underserved areas especially, telemedicine has been effective in providing access to care. This bill will continue to provide and support healthcare for underserved communities increasing equity.
SB 5236 Concerning hospital staffing standards. Sponsored by Sen. Robinson and fourteen others. Relating to improving nurse and health care worker safety and patient care by establishing minimum staffing standards in hospitals, requiring hospital staffing committees to develop staffing plans, addressing mandatory overtime and meal and rest breaks, and providing for enforcement.
SB 5278 Implementing audit recommendations to reduce barriers to home care aide certification. Sponsored by Sen. L. Wilson and eight others. Requires the departments of Health and Social and Health Services to address delays between training and testing, the lack of test sites, and performance and contract management processes, and submitting a report to the Governor and Legislature no later than June 30, 2024.
SB 5582 Reducing barriers and expanding educational opportunities to increase the supply of nurses in Washington. Sponsored by Sen. Holy and twenty others. Requires the state board for community and technical colleges to develop a plan to increase credential opportunities in nursing. Creates nursing education opportunities at community and technical colleges and within the Department of Veterans Affairs. Modifies program approval and training requirements under the Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission. Creates the High School Student Certified Nursing Assistant Pilot Program.
HB 1115/SB 5242 Cost Sharing for Abortion Care. Sponsored by Representative Bateman and seventeen others. This bill seeks to end the practice of copays and coinsurance preventing women from obtaining abortion care as it relates to cost. Pregnancy is a time sensitive condition requires action; and eliminating cost helps to expedite care.
HB 1222 Requiring coverage for hearing Instruments. This bill has expanded to include everyone who requires hearing instruments rather than children under18. It is an access to care issue the League has consistently supported.
HB 1281/SB 5179 Increasing access to the provisions of the Washington death with dignity act. (Previously Concerning Death with Dignity.) The bill expands the Act by including ARNPs and Pas to continue care for their patients who make this choice. It shortens the waiting period from 15 to 7 days and removes the 48 hour waiting period for the written request, and allows medications to be delivered by mail or courier. Importantly, it makes provisions for hospitals and hospices to submit their policies to DOH.
HB 1340/SB 5400 Concerning actions by health professions’ disciplining authorities against license holders and applicants. This bill protects healthcare providers from legal action for providing gender-affirming and reproductive services and does not constitute “unprofessional conduct” under the Uniform Disciplinary Act. It also protects healthcare providers from disciplinary action based on another states laws regarding the provision of reproductive or gender-affirming care in Washington state.
HB 1469/SB 5489 Concerning access to reproductive services and gender affirming treatment in Washington state. Sponsored by Representative Hansen and Thai. This bill explicitly defines protected healthcare services in Washington State to include gender affirming and reproductive care. It protects healthcare providers from legal action and protects them and those they serve. It is a complex legal bill. The bill analysis is here .
HB 1593/SB 5454 Concerning industrial insurance coverage for posttraumatic stress disorders affecting registered nurses. Sponsored by Sen. Cleveland and eleven others. Provides industrial insurance coverage for posttraumatic stress disorders affecting registered nurses.
SB 5103 Concerning payment to acute care hospitals for difficult to discharge Medicaid patients. Patients in hospitals in small communities are waiting to be discharged to other placement such as a nursing home bed. This bill will protect small hospitals and rural communities from losing hospitals they simply cannot afford to lose.
SB 5499 Concerning the multistate nursing licensure compact. A compact for registered nurses will open movement of nurses from one state to another when a compact or agreement has been agreed upon by both states. This will support recruitment of nurses to Washington from other states and vice versa. Compacts are a very effective tool for health professional practice.
SJM 8006 Requesting the Federal Government create a Universal Healthcare program. This joint memorial while requesting the federal government create a healthcare program it also requests that it partner with Washington to do that. It also requests that waivers are granted in order that Washington can create our own program funded by a single-payer system if the federal government is unwilling or unable to do so.
How To Be Involved
- Local Leagues in Washington have action chairs who coordinate action teams. Some local Leagues have health care teams to take action locally. Contact your local League action chair to find out and join.
- Please work with LWVWA issue chairs and become involved with our Healthcare Affinity group. We welcome your perspectives as we determine our support for legislation and prepare testimony for the session. Contact Kim Abbey to be added to our Healthcare Affinity Group: kabbey48@gmail.com.