Washington’s legislative session has come to a close, and what a session it was! We started off the session with the possibility of a multi-billion dollar budget shortfall and deep cuts to our health safety net, all in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. Thanks to fierce advocacy on the state and national front, the outlook is now brighter: Washington’s legislators met this challenging moment with significant investments in health equity and many other supports for struggling Washington residents. 

For a recap of all the action, check out NoHLA’s fifth legislative update of the 2021 Washington State legislative session. Here are summaries of final enacted bills and biennial budget provisions that relate to health care access. Note that some bills and the final budget adopted by the Legislature are still awaiting final action by Governor Inslee. 

Here are some of the health access legislative accomplishments that NoHLA advocated for, along with partners and allies: 

• Postpartum care. SSB 5068 will expand Apple Health coverage to 12 months postpartum to ensure continuity of care and coverage. Sen. Emily Randall worked with a coalition in advocating for this bill, building from the bills she and Rep. Monica Stonier sponsored last year. The coverage expansion will help to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in maternal mortality and provide care for new parents’ health needs during the critical postpartum period. 

• Affordable coverage. E2SSB 5377 will improve affordability in the Health Benefit Exchange via a new “Cascade Care” subsidy program, improved plan offerings, and statewide access to the “public option.” Sen. David Frockt introduced this bill and partnered with Rep. Eileen Cody to get it across the finish line in the face of industry opposition. The budget includes $80 million total in premium subsidies for low-income residents for the two-year budget period ($30 million pilot for childcare care workers in 2022 and $50 million for a broader range of low-income residents in 2023), which will fill in gaps in affordability that remain even after the newly available premium assistance from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. 

• Immigrant health relief. The combined budgets include $41 million for health care services for uninsured and underinsured individuals, regardless of immigration status, through grants to providers. The budget also addresses the long-term need for parity in health coverage, including a provision that directs the Health Benefit Exchange to explore opportunities to facilitate enrollment for individuals excluded from current programs into a state-funded health coverage program by 2024. Rep. My-Linh Thai led the charge for immigrant health equity, working with Rep. Eileen Cody, Rep. Nicole Macri, and others to build power with a coalition that was led by the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network, El Centro de La Raza, and NoHLA with support from the ACLU of Washington and many others.  

• And more, including: significant investments in community behavioral health; a bill that sets the stage for a universal health care system in Washington; public health funding to meet the urgent needs of the pandemic; and landmark changes to fix our upside-down tax code that has starved Washington residents of equitable resources for health and other essential needs. 

A big shout out to the legislative champions who made these advances possible, and to our advocacy and community partners who worked to achieve tremendous changes.

We will be working to build on the momentum of this session to advance health access and equity in the interim between sessions and years to come. 

We hope you find these updates helpful. You are welcome to share them. If you have any questions or comments, please let us know.