In 2016, federal rules were adopted to enforce the non-discrimination section of the Affordable Care Act. The rules prohibit doctors, hospitals and insurers from discriminating against transgender individuals. Provisions defining “sex” discrimination as including discrimination based on gender identity and termination of pregnancy were struck down in a nationwide injunction by a federal judge before...

We recently shared information about a gravely concerning proposed rule that would threaten immigrants’ access to critical benefits. The proposed rule is still under review at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and has not yet been published. But many are concerned. On Tuesday, At NoHLA’s request, Washington’s Governor Inslee was the first Governor...

Two federal judges have ruled against funding cuts to the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program in the past week. In the most recent ruling with national implications, a Spokane judge ruled that the federal government could not cut the grant to The most recent ruling was in favor of Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and...

Eric González Alfaro is one of our newer board members, joining the NoHLA Board last fall. He had collaborated with Executive Director Janet Varon and admired her thoughtful and inclusive nature of always working to improve health systems from a holistic, consumer-centric standpoint. Eric was grounded by his upbringing – he was raised by undocumented...

NoHLA released a new report this week, “County-Based Health Coverage for Immigrants: A Proposal for Counties in Washington State”. We researched county health programs in other states to learn how they fill gaps in coverage that result from federal and state program limitations. We suggest creating similar programs in Washington to provide more consistent access...

April is Medicaid Awareness Month! Over 1.8 million Washingtonians are covered by Washington Apple Health, including 835,000 children and over 586,000 new adults, thanks to our state’s decision to expand Medicaid in 2014. Medicaid is a lifeline for families – covering 45% of births nationwide, but nearly half (49%) in Washington State. A recent study...

Jodi Sullivan joined the NoHLA Board of Directors in 2016 after consulting NoHLA staff countless times over the years about state and federal laws, regulations, and policies governing medical care. She wanted to contribute to our powerful organization, and was particularly impressed by the secret shopper investigation that NoHLA conducted with NARAL Pro-Choice Washington that uncovered health...

Surprise billing – an issue that consumer advocates have been working to solve for years – happens when you get an unexpected, high medical bill from an out-of-network health care provider you didn’t know about. You couldn’t avoid it – you had a medical emergency and were powerless to control who treated you at the...

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson released flyers in English and Spanish to explain the accommodations an employer must provide under a law passed in 2017 for employers with 15 or more employees. This law supports working women’s healthy pregnancies. The flyer outlines what pregnancy accommodation laws are, the rights that pregnant employees have in the...

The Department of Homeland Security intends to propose significant changes to the way the “public charge test” in federal law is applied to certain immigrants seeking to obtain legal status (legal permanent resident or “green card holder”). If the proposal becomes law, receipt of any of a broad array of public benefits could negatively affect...