Seattle leaders looking into 911 concerns, ambulance waits, Seattle Times
From The Seattle Times article, "Seattle leaders looking into 911 concerns, ambulance waits," by Daniel Beekman: Some experts worry 911 systems like Seattle’s will likely see even more strain as patients lose health insurance due to federal policy changes. “The reality is that we’re going to see more calls to 911 and pressure from all...
Legislative Wrap-Up Webinar – March 25, 2026
Updated March 27, 2026 Thanks for your interest in NoHLA's 2026 Legislative Wrap-Up Webinar, held March 25. The materials presented are shared here for your convenience: Recording (video, audio, transcript on YouTube) Presentation slides (PDF) Additional resources from chat: Economic Opportunity Institute (EOI) fact sheet on the Millionaires’ Tax WA Health Care Experience Survey by...
How Seattle’s 911 ambulance system, nurse line stack up, The Seattle Times
From The Seattle Times article, "How Seattle’s 911 ambulance system, nurse line stack up," by Daniel Beekman: Many cities, like Seattle, have added 911 nurse lines in recent years to divert low-level patients away from crowded hospitals. But some have equipped their systems with more protections against extreme delays, like the 10 hours a woman...
Legislative Updates: One Week Left
With just one more week of the state legislative session to go, there’s so much on the line for health care in Washington. Here’s what’s happening as we count down the days until session ends March 12. March 6 is the second chamber cut-off: the last day for bills to pass a floor vote in...
Eliminating Coverage for Therapies Will Harm Washingtonians… and Cost Us More! Organizations Raise the Alarm About Proposed Cuts
House budget proposal would cut physical, occupational, and speech therapies from Apple Health (Medicaid) for all adults FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 3, 2026 Contact: Melissa Warner, (206) 240-7629 SEATTLE, WA – Consumer advocacy and health organizations are sounding the alarm about the Washington House budget proposal that would remove physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy...
WA Democrats drop push for business tax to cover Medicaid costs, Washington State Standard
From Washington State Standard article, "WA Democrats drop push for business tax to cover Medicaid costs" by Jake Goldstein-Street: Under Senate Bill 6173, the state would’ve required private companies with over 100 employees to foot the bill for workers with taxpayer-funded coverage. . . . . Amazon and Walmart lead the pack of employers whose...
Legislative Updates: Health Care Bills to Watch
We’re more than halfway through the 2026 state legislative session! There are only 3 weeks left to go in this 60-day session, which is slated to end March 12. This week marked a key milestone: Tuesday was the “first chamber cutoff,” or the date by which policy bills need to have passed out of the...
Mary Bridge leaders cite 2 federal threats behind gender clinic closure, Seattle Times
From Seattle Times article, "Mary Bridge leaders cite 2 federal threats behind gender clinic closure," by Elise Takahama: The decision to shutter a Tacoma pediatric gender clinic has drawn skepticism from some legal experts who say the hospital, though pressured by the Trump administration, acted prematurely. . . . Brice, of Northwest Health Law Advocates...
Policy for All People: 5 Interesting Things I Learned About Legislative Session
I really thought Schoolhouse Rock explained the legislative process. And it does offer a general overview at the federal level. But another process needs our attention, too: our state’s legislative process. Why? Policies have power. The policies passed in each state can help protect us, our neighbors, and the people we care about. They determine...
State budget, 2026 policy priorities, free and low-cost health care resources, and more
All eyes are on the budget, as the Legislature faces an ongoing multi-billion dollar shortfall due to federal cuts, economic instability, and a regressive tax code. Governor Ferguson’s budget proposal reveals the human toll if Washington fails to act boldly. While the Governor avoided some cuts and signaled greater openness to revenue, his budget still...