ACA and Medicaid Update 3/21/17
American Health Care Act (AHCA) Bill Moves Through the House Breaking News: Top Republican lawmakers have announced a slew of amendments to the Republican healthcare plan ahead of the House vote Thursday. Many of the amendments were pushed by conservatives within the Republican Party. One amendment seeks to halt immediately the Medicaid expansion program. Another...
ACA and Medicaid Update 3/3/17
No plan yet…: In his first congressional address, President Trump delivered a vague, five-point summary of health care positions related to repealing and replacing the ACA. When he mentioned giving governors the “flexibility they need with Medicaid” he was alluding to efforts long pursued by Republicans to restructure Medicaid’s financing structure (read “cut”) using per capita caps and/or...
Proposed Medicaid Cuts: How They Threaten Health Care Coverage of Pregnant Women
Medicaid currently provides coverage to nearly 13 million women of reproductive age. That coverage helps to ensure positive maternal and child health outcomes. The National Health Law Program (NHeLP) has put together a factsheet explaining how Medicaid coverage affects pregnant women currently, and how proposed cuts to Medicaid will threaten that coverage. Senior Attorney Amy...
Reporting a Pregnancy in Washington Healthplanfinder
Women who report a pregnancy while receiving coverage through a Qualified Health Plan (QHP) will be screened for eligibility for Washington Apple Health for Pregnant Women (Medicaid). If eligible, they will be automatically enrolled in that program. This automated system was set up in the Washington Healthplanfinder before the federal government clarified that women in...
NoHLA Testifies in Support of Bill to Inform Patients about Charity Care
NoHLA is supporting a bill in the Washington Legislature, House Bill 1359, that would require hospitals to inform patients that they may qualify for charity care – free or discounted care for low-income individuals that hospitals must provide under state law. This bill aims to ensure that patients are aware of this program by requiring...
NoHLA Stands with Planned Parenthood
Janet Varon, Executive Director of NoHLA, presented at a media conference last week along with King County Executive Dow Constantine, local Planned Parenthood CEO Chris Charbonneau and King County Council Member Jeanne Kohl-Welles. The event celebrated the county’s stunning 55% reduction in teen pregnancies in King County from 2008 to 2015, thanks in large part to the...
Commissioner Mike Kreidler Explains Why Trump’s “Repeal and Replace” Won’t Work
http://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/why-donald-trumps-health-care-plans-would-be-disastrous/
NoHLA Plays Crucial Role in State Attorney General Consumer Protection Action Against Major Health Insurer
The Washington State Attorney General’s Office recently secured an agreement with Molina Healthcare of Washington requiring the insurer to clearly specify that both copper and progestin-based IUDs are fully covered in its Washington health plans. This consumer protection action stemmed from a report by NoHLA, Contraceptive Coverage in Washington State’s Qualified Health Plans, which raised...
NoHLA and Washington CAN Issue Report and Recommendations on Consumer Involvement in Regional Decisionmaking
Washington recently established Accountable Communities of Health in each of nine regions of the state for purposes of health system decision-making. These “ACHs” offer a watershed opportunity to actively include members of communities that experience disparities in health outcomes and access to care in making these decisions. Click here for more information.
NoHLA – OneAmerica Report Urges Consumer Reforms at Yakima Regional and Toppenish Hospitals
A new report from NoHLA and OneAmerica highlights the need for Yakima Regional and Toppenish hospitals to ensure that patients who qualify for financial assistance actually receive it. Click here for more information.