What We’re Reading
Nicotine Delivery: A comprehensive study from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Engineering looked at the public health consequences of “electronic cigarettes”, known as e-cigarettes. The report finds e-cigarettes are far less harmful than conventional cigarettes and may help adults quit smoking, but they serve as a gateway for younger people to smoke cigarettes....
New Study Finds Nearly Half Receive Wasteful Care
The Washington Health Alliance (WHA) released a report last week suggesting that over 45% of health care services delivered in Washington State were low-value. The low-value services stemmed largely from the overuse of services in low-risk populations, like screening for cervical cancer more frequently than recommended. The report estimated the cost of unnecessary spending on...
One State Wants to Gut ACA Consumer Protections
Idaho is going to allow insurers to sell health insurance that does not comply with Affordable Care Act regulations. The Governor signed an executive order in early January, but recent guidance indicates that insurers would be allowed to exclude benefits, like maternity coverage (if at least one state-based plan provides maternity coverage), restore co-pays for...
Basic Health Program Hit by Cost Sharing Reduction Decision
Soon after the President decided to stop paying cost-sharing reductions (CSRs), Minnesota and New York received word that their Basic Health Programs would face substantial budget cuts. An Affordable Care Act option, the Basic Health Program (loosely based on Washington State’s former Basic Health Program) is funded by 95% of what the federal government would...
Medicaid Causes a Commotion Across the Country
Some states clamored for work requirements for Medicaid recipients once the Trump Administration opened the door. After Kentucky’s approval and legal challenge, a work requirement waiver has also been approved in Indiana. Their newly approved waiver includes burdensome premiums and co-pays, locks individuals out of re-enrollment when they do not pay premiums or fail to...
Health Care Inspiration from Other Countries
Join the Temple Beth Am Health Care for All Committee for a captivating discussion, “Learning From Health Care Around the World,” with Professor Aaron Katz on lessons learned from other countries’ health care systems that can be applied to achieve a system in the US that provides affordable, accessible, quality care for all. Aaron Katz is a principal lecturer...
Washington State Legislative Session: Past the Halfway Mark!
The first deadlines have passed for bills moving through the legislature and bills must pass the full House or Senate by next Wednesday (2/14). We are following many bills related to health care. This week, we feature an assortment of bills that would build Affordable Care Act (ACA) and reproductive health protections into state law...
Deadline Nears Without Deal on DACA
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program ends on March 5. “Dreamers” are left out of the Continuing Resolution to fund the government for another six weeks. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Chris Coons (D-DE) crafted new bipartisan legislation that would grant eventual citizenship to young undocumented immigrants, but the White House has pushed...
Did You Know the Government Was Briefly Shut Down While You Were Sleeping?
A new two-year budget deal was signed into law this morning. A vote was expected yesterday, but concerns about what the budget does and doesn’t include forced an overnight government shutdown. The budget agreement does come at a cost to health care, with offsets from public health and Medicaid. A cut to the to the...
WA Legislative Session: Already Racing Toward the First Bill “Cutoff”
This legislative session, NoHLA seeks to (1) preserve and strengthen health care coverage and affordability in our state, (2) ensure access to reproductive health care services, (3) expand options for young adults, and (4) protect consumers from surprise or improper bills. With just over a week left for bills to pass out of their assigned...