The Washington Legislature has begun its 2019 session, which lasts until April 28. Many health care-related bills have been introduced, and there are more to come. This session, there will be a strong focus on behavioral health – relating to mental health and chemical dependency treatment reform, to address the deficiencies in our state’s systems....Continue reading→

By Guest Columnists Omid Bagheri, MPH and Julianna Alson, MPH 1.8 Billion. Imagine how that amount of money could be invested instead into healthcare, housing, education and other social determinants of health. Instead, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that we’re spending that much on fatal and non-fatal injuries by law enforcement,...Continue reading→

The Texas v. US lawsuit, in which a Texas federal judge found the ACA unconstitutional last month, has now been appealed. See our December 18th blog post for background. This ruling, if upheld, would devastate the Medicaid expansion, marketplaces such as the WA Health Benefit Exchange, pre-existing condition protections, health care delivery system reforms, public health and...Continue reading→

Adult hearing benefit Thanks to the 2018 Legislature, Apple Health (Medicaid) will restore hearing aid coverage for adults with hearing loss of 45 decibels or more in their better ears (children already have coverage). Cochlear implants, replacement and repair will also be covered. Clients age 21 and older who meet specific hearing loss criteria may...Continue reading→

Adapted from a summary by the National Health Law Program Last Friday, Judge Reed O’Connor of the Northern District of Texas ruled that the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act was unconstitutional. He went even further, striking down the entire ACA because, he opined, the mandate was not “severable” from the rest of the...Continue reading→