This week, the Washington Department of Health (DOH) released its first interpretive guidance on charity care, making it clear that residency is not required for people to receive free or discounted hospital treatment. Half of the state is potentially eligible for charity care, given the changes to the law that went into effect on July 1, 2022. Information on charity care is available here, with translations in Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, and other languages on the DOH charity care web page under “What is charity care?”. NoHLA led an effort to support DOH action on charity care with a letter of support signed by 30 organizations. We and other health care allies are keeping consumer interests front and center in the current DOH rulemaking process that is implementing the law’s recent changes–email Leslie Bennett if you’d like to join the effort!

And while state efforts to limit abortion rights abound, here in Washington, let’s be clear that the right to an abortion hasn’t changed in our state since the law was first passed in 1970. The Washington Attorney General’s Office recently released this updated Know Your Rights flyer that includes information on:

• the right to obtain an abortion regardless of age, consent by a parent/guardian or a partner is not required;
• the cost covered by health insurance or Apple Health and there is state funding for those without insurance; 
• resources on how to find abortion care providers; and 
• the availability and protections for people who must travel here from out of state for services.

Additional guidance is provided on the shield law that went into effect earlier this year, protecting people from civil and criminal prosecutions in other states when they provide reproductive health and gender-affirming care here in Washington state.