Last month, NoHLA shared legislative updates from the end of the 2021 state legislative session. We celebrated big wins for health equity this session as the Legislature responded to the challenge of existing health disparities exacerbated by the pandemic. We were heartened to see investment in immigrant care, postpartum coverage, and more affordable premiums, among...

Securing affordable healthcare coverage for all people will strengthen our recovery moving forward. As Congress considers the next reconciliation package, we encourage you to pay attention to health care provisions that the President incorporated in his proposed budget: $163 billion to make permanent the temporary expansion of health insurance premium subsidies in the American Rescue...

Did you know that when low-income seniors and people with disabilities in Washington become eligible for Medicare, many lose access to affordable, comprehensive healthcare? Before adults qualify for Medicare, they may qualify for Affordable Care Act programs, including the Medicaid Expansion and subsidized Health Benefit Exchange health insurance plans. The ACA Medicaid program allows income...

We are thrilled to welcome Stephanie Dib Wietstruck and Lee Che Leong to NoHLA! Stephanie Dib Wietstruck joined NoHLA in June 2021 as NoHLA’s Health Equity Advocate. She is pursuing a Health Law Master’s degree at the University of Washington. Since she emigrated to the United States, she has developed a multicultural approach in addressing...

Washington’s legislative session has come to a close, and what a session it was! We started off the session with the possibility of a multi-billion dollar budget shortfall and deep cuts to our health safety net, all in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. Thanks to fierce advocacy on the state and national front, the...

This week, Congress is considering an “American Rescue Plan” COVID-19 relief package that includes critical health protections during the pandemic. For the first time in a decade, Congress has the opportunity to strengthen the reforms of the Affordable Care Act by lowering the cost of coverage for those struggling the most. NoHLA is calling on Congress to move full speed...

As 2020 comes to a close, NoHLA and our partners are in high gear, finalizing our policy priorities for 2021. This year, we expect to defend against potential cuts to the health safety net and work to expand affordable coverage for Washington residents who are immigrants, post-partum, or buying individual coverage on their own. To...

This past fall, El Centro de La Raza, the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN), and NoHLA launched the Health Equity for Immigrants Campaign, with support from the ACLU of WA. NoHLA is a proud partner in this campaign, which aims to address health inequities experienced by the immigrant community:  An estimated 46% of undocumented individuals...

Hope is on the horizon as the first COVID-19 vaccines arrive in Washington State. The Washington State Department of Health has released a carefully-considered phased distribution plan, with Phase 1a  already underway. High-risk first responders, medical workers, and elders in nursing facilities are now beginning to receive the vaccine. And just this week, a second...

For Washington residents who have made it through the hurdle of COVID-19 vaccine prioritization, there may be another question looming: what will it cost? The good news is that under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, the CARES Act, and related federal guidance, the vaccine should be available at no charge to all Washington residents....