This week, alongside WSHA staff and members, I met with our state’s federal lawmakers in Washington, D.C. to advocate for our state’s health care and our hospitals.
The trip was especially timely, with debates happening now around the future of Medicaid and the national budget reconciliation process set to have a profound impact on health care here at home.
The good news: We connected with 11 of the 12 congressional offices representing Washington State, sharing key priorities and what hospitals need to maintain operations and serve their communities.
We are making progress, but continue to need your strong voices in support of Medicaid. Cuts to the federal share of funding for Medicaid expansion groups and harmful per-capita caps now appear unlikely. The future of directed payment programs (known in Washington State as the Safety Net Assessment Program), a mechanism to increase quality and access for Medicaid enrollees, is still uncertain.
Work requirements and more frequent eligibility verifications seem likely to be enacted. These mechanisms will create significant administrative burden for patients and hospitals and lead to coverage loss.
We also urged lawmakers to oppose site-neutral payment cuts, support the extension of enhanced premium tax credits and consider the negative impact tariffs have on the cost of medical supplies and infrastructure projects (stay tuned for more details on tariffs).
We’re grateful for the engagement from our elected leaders and appreciate their willingness to listen and ask questions about the real-world effects of federal policy on Washington hospitals.
Finally, we extend our heartfelt thanks to all WSHA members who participated in this trip. Your efforts are making a difference, and we are proud to have dedicated advocates working to improve health care for us all.
Sincerely,
Jacqueline Barton True
Vice President, Advocacy and Rural Health
jacquelineb@wsha.org