• NoHLA launches Immigrant Health Equity Campaign with partners El Centro de La Raza and WAISN

    NoHLA is partnering with El Centro de la Raza and Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) with support from ACLU of Washington to advocate for health equity for immigrants. Many public health coverage programs include immigration status restrictions, which excludes many people from accessing these vital programs. The COVID-19 public health emergency has made it clear […]

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  • Update on Family Planning Only Implementation

    In response to comments from NoHLA and other advocates, the state Health Care Authority (HCA) has announced it will permit applicants to make an informed choice to obtain Family Planning Only program (FPO) services without applying for full scope Medicaid.  This is welcome news, as the state-funded program became available to all regardless of immigration […]

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  • NoHLA Webinar Series: Centering health equity

    This year, in lieu of our annual all-day in-person seminar, we went virtual with 5 sessions, one a week in the month of October. The theme is “Pandemic Response: How Do We Center Health Equity?”  It’s been a great run so far! The series began with a compelling keynote presentation by Dr. Rhea Boyd, followed […]

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  • ‘Tis the season! Open Enrollment is here!

    Know someone who needs health coverage or wants to switch their plan? It’s Open Enrollment season for Washington State residents seeking individual coverage through Washington Healthplanfinder, the state’s official insurance marketplace, or Medicare. Washington Healthplanfinder Open Enrollment runs from Nov. 1, 2020 – Jan. 15, 2021. During this time, people can sign up or renew […]

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  • The fight ahead: ACA at risk

    As we head into November, all eyes are on the other Washington. Our state’s health care system will be fundamentally shaped by the next few weeks, as the election proceeds and  Judge Amy Coney Barrett takes a seat on the Supreme Court after yesterday’s rushed confirmation. Against this backdrop, the Supreme Court will hear oral […]

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  • Legislative updates: State agency budget documents and upcoming legislative work sessions

    State agency budget decision packages were posted to the Office of Financial Management website last week. As expected, they appear to include most – if not all – of the cuts identified in the savings options exercise that agencies undertook this spring at the direction of the Governor in light of significant expected revenue shortfalls.   The […]

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  • NoHLA welcomes Emily Brice!

    We are thrilled to welcome Emily Brice as our Senior Attorney & Policy Advisor. We should say, we’re welcoming her back, as she was a NoHLA staff attorney from 2011-13. In the interim, Emily has gained a depth of experience and knowledge that will strengthen NoHLA’s advocacy efforts tremendously. Emily says, “I’m so pleased to […]

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  • NoHLA honors Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and prepares for health care impact

    As we collectively mourn the loss of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we at NoHLA are reflecting on her role as a fierce champion for equity, justice, and human compassion. As a lawyer and a jurist, her trailblazing work has advanced the causes of access to health care, reproductive rights, civil rights including for […]

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  • Dear Legislators: Invest, don’t cut!

    In this time of unprecedented challenges, health disparities have been magnified and many Washington residents still do not have access to affordable health care. Yet discussions are underway about budget cuts. Recently, in response to the forecasted revenue shortfalls, state agencies including the Health Care Authority participated in an exercise to project budget cuts of […]

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  • Senate pandemic relief bill fails to make urgently needed investments in health care to save lives

    As COVID infections surge, more than 1500 people in Washington state have died from the disease and over a million residents have filed for unemployment, a high percentage of us need help to get through this tough time and take care of our families. Yet rather than propose a package commensurate with the scale of […]

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