We strongly urge you to consider joining us May 6-9 in Washington, D.C., for the AHA Annual Meeting. Also, we have a clarification on the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018.... Read More >>

Early this morning Congress passed a sweeping budget bill that funds the federal government through March 23, 2018. WSHA is very pleased the bill also includes a number of important health care provisions, including fixing — at least in the short term — some payment issues that WSHA members have been advocating for the past few months.... Read More >>

Over the next few weeks, lawmakers in Washington, D.C., must tackle a number of critical health care issues, including funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, expiring Medicare reimbursement policies, 340B and stabilization of the individual insurance market under the Affordable Care Act.... Read More >>

The House Ways and Means Committee recently announced a bipartisan agreement to extend certain expiring Medicare provisions. The proposal would extend the Medicare low-volume adjustment program and Medicare dependent hospital status for two years, and extend add-on payments for rural ground ambulance and home health services for five years.... Read More >>

The House of Representatives is set to vote on Thursday on a sweeping tax plan that would affect non-profit hospitals and public hospital districts and the patients they serve. Yesterday, WSHA sent a letter to the our state's representatives urging their support of tax-exempt private activity and advance refunding bonds. ... Read More >>

On November 2, House Republican leaders unveiled a sweeping tax plan that would affect non-profit hospitals/health systems and public hospitals districts and the patients they serve. We urge you to weigh in with your members of the congressional delegation.... Read More >>

Four Republican Senators have introduced a new attempt to repeal and replace large portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), racing to beat a September 30 deadline to pass any such reform under reconciliation rules with a bare majority of 50 votes (plus Vice President Pence). Sens. Graham (SC), Cassidy (LA), Heller (NV) and Johnson (WI) have proposed a bill that would replace federal funds for Medicaid expansion and subsidies for individual market insurance sold in the marketplaces with a lump sum block grant for states to use for unspecified health care purposes.... Read More >>

The House and Senate recently adjourned for August recess. Both houses will reconvene on September 5. In anticipation of meetings with members of the congressional delegation, we have developed talking points and provided some background information on the aftermath of Senate not moving forward with the proposals on the Affordable Care Act (ACA). WSHA encourages hospital leaders to meet with their members of Congress during the break. Please let WSHA staff know if we can provide any assistance.... Read More >>

After three days of debate and voting, the final proposal from Senate Republican leadership known as “skinny repeal” of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) failed by a 49-51 margin. This measure would have repealed the individual insurance mandate and the medical device tax, and delayed the employer mandate for eight years. Along with the failure of two other proposals earlier in the week, the vote brings an end — for now — to Republican efforts to repeal and replace the ACA that have lasted for six months.... Read More >>

The Washington State Hospital Association remains deeply concerned with the Senate’s approach to repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Most of the underlying provisions of the new bill, including deep cuts to Medicaid, are unchanged from the previous draft and will result in dramatically fewer Washingtonians having access to health coverage and care.... Read More >>