The Washington State Health Care Cost Transparency Board (HCCTB), created by House Bill 2457, is charged with reducing health care growth and increasing price transparency in Washington state. The HCCTB is currently receiving data from 11 insurance carriers and two state agencies for 2017 through 2019. While the HCCTB is focused on the data that must be submitted by October 1st, health care advocates are expressing concern that the most important component of high health care prices is being forgotten, its impact on the “people whose paychecks are increasingly being eaten up by premiums, deductibles, and other out-of-pocket costs.”
Category: News Posts
More than 90 Organizations Support Washington State’s 1332 Waiver to Increase Health Care Access for Immigrants and the Waiting Begins
NoHLA is grateful to the 92 organizations that signed the letter of support submitted during the federal comment period for Washington's Section 1332 Waiver Application. The 1332 waiver allows states to pursue innovative strategies while also retaining the basic protections of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Washington’s waiver requests permission to allow immigrants access to high quality, affordable health insurance.
$35 Million in Uninsured Care Expansion Grants Awarded
The Washington State Health Care Authority announced grant awards to 48 organizations for the purpose of providing free health care services for people who are under 200% of federal poverty level and are uninsured and underinsured, regardless of immigration status.
NoHLA Policy Analyst Lee Che Leong Joins HBE Health Equity Committee
Northwest Health Law Advocates Policy Analyst Lee Che Leong attended her first meeting as the newest member of the Health Equity Technical Advisory Committee (Health Equity TAC) of the Washington Health Benefit Exchange (HBE) on August 3rd.
What the Future Holds: Reflections on Dobbs by NoHLA Executive Director Janet Varon
It is frightening to contemplate a future that prevents people from accessing abortion, a health service that for almost fifty years has been considered constitutionally-protected. There are so many aspects of the Dobbs decision that are excruciatingly painful - including its implications for other bedrock principles of our legal system.
New Hospital Charity Care Rules and Medical Debt Reporting Practices Now In Effect
Starting this month, there’s good news for the hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians who are struggling to pay their medical bills. Today, five percent of WA residents are being chased by medical debt collectors, with higher rates among communities of color.
NoHLA Welcomes Our New Policy and Communications Specialist
We are thrilled to announce that Leslie Bennett has joined the NoHLA team in a newly-created position - Policy and Communications Specialist. Leslie has more than twenty years of experience in health care policy, advocacy, and communications on both the east and west coasts.