NoHLA is partnering with El Centro de la Raza and Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) with support from ACLU of Washington to advocate for health equity for immigrants. Many public health coverage programs include immigration status restrictions, which excludes many people from accessing these vital programs. The COVID-19 public health emergency has made it clear...

In response to comments from NoHLA and other advocates, the state Health Care Authority (HCA) has announced it will permit applicants to make an informed choice to obtain Family Planning Only program (FPO) services without applying for full scope Medicaid.  This is welcome news, as the state-funded program became available to all regardless of immigration...

This year, in lieu of our annual all-day in-person seminar, we went virtual with 5 sessions, one a week in the month of October. The theme is “Pandemic Response: How Do We Center Health Equity?”  It’s been a great run so far! The series began with a compelling keynote presentation by Dr. Rhea Boyd, followed...

Know someone who needs health coverage or wants to switch their plan? It’s Open Enrollment season for Washington State residents seeking individual coverage through Washington Healthplanfinder, the state’s official insurance marketplace, or Medicare. Washington Healthplanfinder Open Enrollment runs from Nov. 1, 2020 – Jan. 15, 2021. During this time, people can sign up or renew...

As we head into November, all eyes are on the other Washington. Our state’s health care system will be fundamentally shaped by the next few weeks, as the election proceeds and  Judge Amy Coney Barrett takes a seat on the Supreme Court after yesterday’s rushed confirmation. Against this backdrop, the Supreme Court will hear oral...

State agency budget decision packages were posted to the Office of Financial Management website last week. As expected, they appear to include most – if not all – of the cuts identified in the savings options exercise that agencies undertook this spring at the direction of the Governor in light of significant expected revenue shortfalls.   The...

We are thrilled to welcome Emily Brice as our Senior Attorney & Policy Advisor. We should say, we’re welcoming her back, as she was a NoHLA staff attorney from 2011-13. In the interim, Emily has gained a depth of experience and knowledge that will strengthen NoHLA’s advocacy efforts tremendously. Emily says, “I’m so pleased to...

As we collectively mourn the loss of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we at NoHLA are reflecting on her role as a fierce champion for equity, justice, and human compassion. As a lawyer and a jurist, her trailblazing work has advanced the causes of access to health care, reproductive rights, civil rights including for...

In this time of unprecedented challenges, health disparities have been magnified and many Washington residents still do not have access to affordable health care. Yet discussions are underway about budget cuts. Recently, in response to the forecasted revenue shortfalls, state agencies including the Health Care Authority participated in an exercise to project budget cuts of...

As COVID infections surge, more than 1500 people in Washington state have died from the disease and over a million residents have filed for unemployment, a high percentage of us need help to get through this tough time and take care of our families. Yet rather than propose a package commensurate with the scale of...