Maternal mortality is on the rise in the United States – a shocking trend that needs to be addressed. Two women die each day during or related to childbirth and there are 50,000 “near misses” each year – most of which are preventable. There are also staggering health disparities in maternal mortality, primarily for African...
Category: News
Undermining Health Care Access and Affordability, One Rule at a Time
In 2016, federal rules were adopted to enforce the non-discrimination section of the Affordable Care Act. The rules prohibit doctors, hospitals and insurers from discriminating against transgender individuals. Provisions defining “sex” discrimination as including discrimination based on gender identity and termination of pregnancy were struck down in a nationwide injunction by a federal judge before...
Washington Governor Joins Pushback on “Public Charge” Rules
We recently shared information about a gravely concerning proposed rule that would threaten immigrants’ access to critical benefits. The proposed rule is still under review at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and has not yet been published. But many are concerned. On Tuesday, At NoHLA’s request, Washington’s Governor Inslee was the first Governor...
Tension Mounts: Teen Pregnancy Prevention vs. Abstinence Education
Two federal judges have ruled against funding cuts to the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program in the past week. In the most recent ruling with national implications, a Spokane judge ruled that the federal government could not cut the grant to The most recent ruling was in favor of Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and...
NoHLA Board Member Spotlight: Eric González Alfaro
Eric González Alfaro is one of our newer board members, joining the NoHLA Board last fall. He had collaborated with Executive Director Janet Varon and admired her thoughtful and inclusive nature of always working to improve health systems from a holistic, consumer-centric standpoint. Eric was grounded by his upbringing – he was raised by undocumented...
A New Approach to Closing Gaps in Adult Immigrant Coverage
NoHLA released a new report this week, “County-Based Health Coverage for Immigrants: A Proposal for Counties in Washington State”. We researched county health programs in other states to learn how they fill gaps in coverage that result from federal and state program limitations. We suggest creating similar programs in Washington to provide more consistent access...
Medicaid Matters!
April is Medicaid Awareness Month! Over 1.8 million Washingtonians are covered by Washington Apple Health, including 835,000 children and over 586,000 new adults, thanks to our state’s decision to expand Medicaid in 2014. Medicaid is a lifeline for families – covering 45% of births nationwide, but nearly half (49%) in Washington State. A recent study...