COVID-19 is changing life as we know it. Immigrants are particularly vulnerable because they are more likely to be uninsured and lower-income thus unable to afford costs when health care needs arise. Trump-era policies such as increased immigration enforcement – including at health care facilities despite the sensitive locations policy still in place – and public...
Category: News
On its tenth anniversary, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is helping our state provide health care during a pandemic.
Being at the center of the COVID-19 pandemic shows how critical it is for Washington State to have a strong health system. A virus does not discriminate, and we need everyone, regardless of their income, to be able to access health care to keep us all safe. Passed by Congress 10 years ago this week,...
Federal developments
TAKE ACTION: Comment here by Monday, March 2 at 2 pm PT/5 pm ET to oppose the proposal to nix automatic coverage renewals for low-income enrollees. Changes to Public Charge Effective Now Despite the many legal efforts to stop the “public charge” rule from taking effect, both the final Department of Homeland Security and the...
Improving affordability of prescription drugs
The Legislature is considering a number of bills to address affordability of prescription drugs. These bills have passed the Senate or the House: SB 6087 (Keiser) would cap the out-of-pocket cost to patients for a 30-day supply of insulin at $100 per month. SB 6088 (Keiser) would establish a prescription drug affordability board that would...
Improving access to essential health care: Postpartum coverage
TAKE ACTION! Senate Bill 6128, Extending coverage during the postpartum period, was referred to House Appropriations. We need to ensure it gets a hearing! Contact all members of the House Appropriations Committee, to request that they hear the bill and fund it in the budget. How to take action: Click here. Fill out your information....
The Latest: Supreme Court not ready to hear ACA challenge
This week, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the request of 21 states, including Washington, for an expedited hearing in Texas v. U.S. (now referred to as California v. Texas) after the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the individual mandate unconstitutional on December 18, 2019. If the Court grants certiorari — and it could still...
The state legislative session begins
Last week, the Washington Legislature began its 2020 session with a new Speaker of the House: Representative Laurie Jinkins, the first woman and first openly gay Speaker! This is the second year of our biennial legislature, so we have a shorter session lasting only 60 days, ending March 12. Bills need to move quickly to...