Nearly 9 million children in families with incomes above Medicaid eligibility thresholds are covered by the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in a year. In Washington State, 47,000 children are currently covered by CHIP. However, the program continues to be subject to short-term funding extensions, hampering planning and budgeting by state policymakers and families. The...
Category: News
State Legislative Session Wrap-up
This week, NoHLA released summaries on passed legislation and the final operating budget relating to health care access in the Washington State Legislature. Check them out!
Legislative Session Spotlight: Paid Family Leave
The Washington State Legislature secured the passage of paid family leave this legislative session. While this is not directly health care-related, it will have a significant impact on the health of families in our state. Washington State tinkered around the edges of paid family leave previously, but never figured out how to fund it. Family...
Uncovering Maternal Mortality
A flurry of articles lately address the troubling trend of increasing maternal mortality in the U.S., which has doubled in the last two decades. Two women die each day due to pregnancy-related complications and another 175 women suffer severe complications requiring major medical intervention — equivalent to about 65,000 close calls annually, according to the...
Good Start, But It’s Not Over Yet!
We breathed a collective sigh of relief upon hearing the news Thursday night that the latest efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA) had failed. A few Republican Senators voted no: our collective phone calls, messages, conversations and personal stories were pivotal in achieving this outcome. But the fight is not over. The Senate...
A Life Saving Outcome
Our friend, Jane*, is also breathing a sigh of relief. Jane is a gardener who was uninsured for most of her adult life – until the Affordable Care Act made coverage a reality. For years, Jane dealt with various health issues that challenged her ability to make a living. When she enrolled in Washington’s Medicaid...
Senate Republicans Rush to Repeal ACA and Cut Medicaid
Today, the Senate is expected to vote on a new version of ACA repeal legislation. After votes on other versions failed, Republicans may now pursue a “skinny” repeal bill – but its contents remain unclear and it could be beefed up. If passed, this bill could either be directly voted on by the House, or...