Upon returning from April Recess, Congress has been pushing GOP lawmakers to quickly vote on a new proposed version of the American Health Care Act (AHCA). While earlier in the week House Republican leaders said that this plan was not ready to be voted on, it now appears we could see a vote as early...
The Healthy Pregnancy Bill, SB 5835, passed the Legislature after a unanimous House vote last week. It is now awaiting the Governor’s signature. This bill requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant women in the workplace. The bill also establishes the Healthy Pregnancy Advisory Committee House to develop strategies for improving health outcomes for...
Cost sharing reductions (CSRs) are subsidies offered by health plans under the ACA to consumers who have a household income below 250% of the poverty line, including 70,000 Washington residents. CSRs help to limit deductibles, co-insurance and co-payments for low-income enrollees. Insurance companies pay these costs and are currently reimbursed by the federal government. But...
As we’ve said before, there is a great deal the Trump Administration can do to change health programs without Congress repealing or changing the Affordable Care Act. Last week, HHS adopted a final rule aimed at stabilizing the health insurance marketplaces that were set up by the ACA. Some of the most alarming impacts of...
Huma Zarif is a Staff Attorney at Northwest Health Law Advocates (NoHLA). She graduated from University of California, Hastings College of the Law with a concentration in Health Law. Prior to law school, Huma worked as a social worker for over eight years, including at Harborview and Swedish Medical Centers. She obtained both her Bachelor in...
As Congress is in recess from now until April 21st, this is a good time to catch up on what’s happening and make your voice heard. Here’s a summary of what’s been happening and what we can expect to happen next from Community Catalyst: What’s Happened So Far? In early January, Congress passed a budget resolution...
NoHLA’s Third Legislative Update In Olympia, legislators are considering many bills related to health care access. See NoHLA’s Legislative Update #3– a chart of these bills and their statuses (as of 3/29/2017) with links to detailed information. Comparing the House and Senate Budgets The Senate and House have passed their budgets and must now reach...