Now it’s time to talk turkey with your friends and family. Suggested topics:

• How’s your Open Enrollment going?
• Where do you get YOUR pharmaceutical drugs?

The PNHP groundbreaking report on how Medicare Advantage insurers overcharge taxpayers (federal govt.) from $88 to $140 billion a year, which would easily cover the $84 billion for vision, dental and hearing for both Medicare and Medicaid enrollees.

Giving Tuesday for Universal Health Care!
Health Care for All-Washington is dedicated to achieving universal, publicly funded health care.
Become a health care champion!

Can’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear

By Consuelo Echeverria 

In Nov, the FTAC addressed the UHCC request to focus on Coverage/Enrollment with an in-depth explanation of how Medicaid works in WA and potential opportunities for Medicaid under a universal health care system. While Medicaid in WA certainly is trying to be inclusive and equitable there are some issues with trying to expand this approach into a universal system.

• Overutilization is pitched as the driver of high health care costs while the high administrative costs built into the medical industrial complex was left open.
• An attempt to consolidate and better manage MCOs to control costs will not fix the basic  issue of capitation with high rates of denials to maximize profits.
• While rate normalization is seen as a complex problem in the current system, a simple single-payer model is the most cost-effective solution.

As one commentator mentioned, “WA has done a good job of making the existing system work.  But it’s expensive and takes a lot of work, which is why we need to take a different tack.”  

The current system is a prime example of why the FTAC’s time would be better spent analyzing   the unified single payer system presented in the Washington Health Trust, which is modeled on HCFA-WA’s Washington Health Security Trust.    

Join us as we track the next meeting of the UHCC on Thursday, December 14, 2023, 2-4 p.m.

We encourage you to:

• Sign up to provide public comment by 5 p.m. the day before the meeting occurs. 
• Subscribe to Health Care Authority (HCA) for updates.

Catch up on past UHCC and FTAC meetings

• Listen to the recording or read the slıdes at FTAC past meetings. 

To get our take, you can read past meeting recaps on our website.

2nd Wednesday Speaker Series Spotlight on Immigrant Health 

By Ron Lovell

In November’s Second Wednesday Speaker Series, Sasha Wasserstrom, Policy Director at Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN), the largest immigrant-led coalition in Washington state. Sasha highlighted the coverage and gaps of the landmark 1332 waiver that provides health care for immigrants regardless of status. While a good start, only about 3% goes to Community Based Organizations for outreach and education.

Sasha also introduced the Health Equity for Immigrants Campaign, a major project of WAISN, and concluded with WAISN’s 2024 legislative agenda.

Read on for further discussion of the Health Equity for Immigrants Campaign and action items.

Read the full article here.

Cigna accused of using an algorithm to reject patients' health insurance claims

Thousands of WA patients getting refunds in PeaceHealth billing case

Sign the organizational sign-on letter in support of Health Equity for Immigrants Campaign