On the heels of a successful 2024 Legislative Session, HCFA-WA is taking action on national issues, looking ahead to 2025 as we meet with key legislators on our health policy goals for the 2025 Session, and collaborating with our allied organizations to build a statewide grassroots movement for universal health care.  We invite you to join us in making change!

Two quick actions!

1. Sign the National Petition to Congress to Pass Rep. Khanna’s State-Based Universal Health Care Act
   Sign the petition here to support the State-Based Universal Health Care Act (SBUHCA, HR 6270). This will provide important support to states like ours that are working to create comprehensive health plans for all their residents, leading the way to an equitable, universal, simple, affordable (USA), national health plan. Tell Congress to support SBUHCA, so states can create a pathway to a universal national health plan.
2. Call on Senators Murray and Cantwell to become co-sponsors of the Senate Version of the State-Based Universal Health Care Act
   For the first time ever, there will be a Senate bill, cosponsored by Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren. Our partners at One Payer States, along with advocates across the country have made great progress in advancing the federal State Based Universal Healthcare Act. Now we need more original cosponsors and supporters and that’s where you come in. Click here to ask our two US Senators to sign on!

April Universal Health Care Commission Recap: Washington’s Long and Winding Road to Universal Health Care . . . is still long and winding . . .

By Marcia Stedman

At its April meeting, the Commission continued moving with all deliberate speed toward its goal of designing a universal health care system for Washington, while focussing mainly on making immediate improvements in health care affordability and access.

View the Meeting Video  and  Meeting Materials 

Main Takeaways:

1. The actuarial study that was funded in 2023 is now on the horizon.
2. The Financial Technical Advisory Committee (FTAC) was directed to evaluate the benefits and costs of 3 state-administered programs and the impact of cost-sharing levels on patient access to those benefits, a hopeful sign that a benefits package may soon be recommended.
3. In its analysis of the Washington Health Trust plan, the FTAC appeared skeptical of its feasibility and noted that some details were missing and the topics covered are already being studied by the FTAC.
4. The Commission will receive agency reports in December on improving efficiency in state-administered health plans and ensuring that individuals losing Medicaid coverage can enroll in an affordable Health Benefit Exchange Plan. 
5. The administrative simplicity expert noted that it is not possible for administrative simplicity alone to save money in our existing system.

And that is why we do the work we do!  

Take courage, and gear up for the next installment in the UHCC/FTAC saga. Will the FTAC have any recommendations on benefit design at its next meeting on May 9th?  

Join us as we find out at the next meeting of the FTAC on Thursday, May 9th, 2-4:30 pm. 

We encourage you to:

• Sign up to provide public comment by 5 p.m. the day before the meeting occurs.
• We urge our members to push for a single payer plan in their public comments.
• Read our take on past UHCC and FTAC meetings

Subscribe to Health Care Authority (HCA) for updates.

April 2nd Wednesday Speaker Series: Mental Health Crisis Care Centers with Dr. Susan McLaughlin

Watch the video here!

The new Director of the Behavioral Health and Recovery Division of the King County Department of Community and Human Services, Susan McLaughlin, Ph.D. led a discussion on implementing a plan for a network of crisis care centers, the stabilization of residential treatment centers, and strengthening the behavioral health workforce. The King County Council is finalizing the legislative process to implement this plan. We had a front row seat to learn about the purpose and strategies to improve access, equity, and workforce diversity in order to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services to the people in our community. 

HCFA-WA’s own Cris Currie makes “The Case for State-based Single-Payer Health Care” 
Common Dreams, April 12, 2024 

Innovation - but at what price? 
Leading House GOP lawmakers are pushing for an investigation into CMMI,  the agency created to test ways to finance health care costs, after it increased spending by more than $1 billion.
Politico, April 26, 2024  

Humana warns of tough times ahead for Medicare Advantage
WDRB.com, Apr 24, 2024 Updated Apr 26, 2024