Governor Inslee signed a state biennial operating budget with no time to spare to avoid a partial government shutdown on June 30. He also vetoed a tax break the Republicans wanted. One notable accomplishment was a bill guaranteeing workers paid family and medical leave beginning in 2020, providing 12 weeks paid time off for the...

Ten years ago, Washington State passed landmark legislation to Cover All Kids by 2010. Our neighbors down in Oregon have just done the same. Led by the great work of the Oregon Latino Health Coalition, Oregon becomes the 7th state to ensure coverage for all kids regardless of residency status. Congratulations to families and advocates...

We welcome Natalie Reid to NoHLA this summer! Natalie is a second year student at Seattle University School of Law and is interested in health law and policy, consumer advocacy, and administrative law. With one year of law school under her belt, Natalie is excited to put her new skills to use by pursuing her...

The Administration recently solicited public comments as part of an effort to deconstruct the health care system put in place by the ACA. NoHLA submitted comments finding fault with the premise that deregulation is needed or that the ACA has been bad for consumers, pointing out that the federal protections provided by the ACA have...

The Seattle City Council recently signed a proclamation recognizing the importance of ensuring that immigrants receive health care. The proclamation recognizes the importance of access to comprehensive medical care—including reproductive health care—in ensuring new and aspiring Americans can build thriving lives and healthy communities. Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez deserves our thanks for her leadership in passing...

The Health Care Authority (HCA) has proposed changes to the medical treatment available to Washington Apple Health (Medicaid) enrollees undergoing a gender transition. These changes threaten trans individuals’ access to services they need to accomplish a successful transition. NoHLA worked with the Coalition for Inclusive Health Care to submit comments expressing our concerns that the...

A new poll found that a clear majority of Americans are unhappy with the Republicans’ efforts to overhaul the nation’s health care system.

The Senate delayed plans to act before the July 4th holiday recess on their version of the House bill – the “Better Care Reconciliation Act”- due to lack of sufficient support, but Republicans’ efforts to garner more votes continue. The Senate’s plan would closely follow the House, funding tax cuts for wealthy Americans by cutting...

The U.S. House of Representatives voted Tuesday on a bill that would prevent hundreds of thousands of people from accessing affordable health care due to bureaucratic glitches. HR 2581, or the “Verify First” Act, would create roadblocks to health care eligibility by making people pay the price for incomplete and deficient government databases. This would prevent people...