It was a strong week for WSHA’s priority legislation, with several key bills moving out of their chamber of origin with momentum ahead of Tuesday’s cross over deadline. The Senate passed the EMS inter-facility transport bill, 340B protections, IV contrast supervision, and both timely payment and prior authorization reform legislation. These bills are major steps toward cutting red tape and ensuring patients get care without unnecessary delays. Bills now move to the opposite chamber for consideration.
Following significant positive changes to the bill, WSHA has moved to neutral on the health care transaction oversight bill (ESH 2548) as it passed the House. This is the result of strong advocacy by WSHA with important guidance from WSHA members.
Thanks to active engagement in advocacy alerts, the corporate practice of medicine legislation, SB 5387, was not brought up for a vote and will not move forward this session. A full list of bill status following this week’s cut-off is included below.
WSHA remains engaged with high-stakes issues including the Washington health benefit exchange legislation and medical debt. With the supplemental budget release expected to be released next week, WSHA continues to push back hard on proposals tied to employer taxes, cuts to Medicaid through managed care carve-outs to fee for service and other revenue measures that would burden hospitals. Stay tuned for the analysis of House and Senate budget proposals later this month.
This week’s top bills with hearings in Olympia
ESSB 5845: Modernizing and clarifying timely payment requirements for health carriers
WSHA strongly supports ESSB 5845, which addresses a major source of financial strain for hospitals: delayed or unclear claims processing. It requires health carriers to pay or deny clean claims within 30 days, establishes firm timelines for acknowledging incomplete claims, mandates transparency about what information is needed, and imposes late fee penalties when carriers fail to comply with the timelines in the bill.
ESSB 5845 will have a public hearing at 1:30 p.m. today, February 18 in the House Health Care & Wellness Committee. WSHA will testify in support. Members can sign in on ESSB 5845 by 12:30 p.m. today. (Jennifer Brackeen)
ESHB 2110: Concerning personnel for ambulance service interfacility specialty care transports.
WSHA strongly supports ESHB 2110, which would allow RNs with appropriate competencies to support interfacility patient transport without an EMT certification. Currently, Washington State requires either a paramedic or a registered nurse (RN) with an emergency medical technician (EMT)certification to provide care during these transports. Health care providers with this level of licensure and certification are increasingly unavailable, especially in rural areas. Patients and hospitals need an alternative that remains safe for patients while also providing timely transportation and access to alternative sites of care.
ESHB 2110 will have a public hearing at 8:00 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 19 in the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee. WSHA will testify in support. Members can sign-in on ESHB 2110 by 7:00 a.m. on Thursday. (Remy Kerr)
2SSB 5981: Concerning the 340B drug pricing program
WSHA strongly supports 2SSB 5981, which would prohibit for-profit drug manufacturers from interfering with distribution of 340B drugs through unfavorable terms or conditions for 340B providers and their contract pharmacies. This bill is supported by 340B covered entities, including qualified safety net and critical access hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers, HIV/AIDs clinics. For-profit drug manufacturers are increasingly trying to avoid giving this discount by interfering with the distribution of 340B drugs. This threatens the financial viability of safety net providers and access to needed drugs and services for the patients in their communities.
2SSB 5981 will have a public hearing at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, February 20 in the House Health Care & Wellness Committee. WSHA will testify in support. Members can sign in on 2SSB 5981 by 7:00 a.m. on Friday. (Andrew Busz and Remy Kerr)
E2SSB 5395 – Public Hearing – Making improvements to transparency and accountability in the prior authorization determination process.
WSHA strongly supports E2SSB. The bill requires that final prior authorization care determination decisions be made by a qualified clinician rather than through artificial intelligence and establishes standards for how AI tools can be used in the process. It also clarifies that previously authorized services cannot be retroactively denied based on medical necessity and are not subject to the carrier’s adverse determination/appeals process. The bill was originally introduced during the 2025 legislative session but stalled due to state budget concerns. WSHA successfully worked with legislators, state agencies, and other interested parties to reduce the state cost to implement the bill.
E2SSB 5395 will have a public hearing at 1:30 p.m. on today, February 18 in the House Health Care & Wellness Committee. WSHA will testify in support. Members can sign in on E2SSB 5395 by 12:30 p.m. today. (Andrew Busz)
ESSB 5993: Concerning lowering the interest rate for medical debt
WSHA opposes ESSB 5993 as it would impact the ability of health care providers and facilities to recover the actual costs of care, particularly for services already delivered without payment, increasing uncompensated care and worsening existing financial strain across the health care system. Reducing recoverability and capping interest at 1% could force already‑vulnerable hospitals to absorb greater losses.
ESSB 5993 is scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Civil Rights and Judiciary on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 8 a.m. WSHA opposes this bill. (Katerina LaMarche)
Bills still alive after cutoff
|
|
|
|
|
|
WSHA is weighing in on the following bills Feb. 16-20:
Wednesday, Feb. 18
House Civil Rights & Judiciary
ESSB 5993 Concerning lowering the interest rate for medical debt. (Katarina LaMarche)
ESSB 5837 Concerning guardianship, conservatorship, and other protective arrangements for adults. (Zosia Stanley)
House Labor & Workplace Standards
E2SSB 5847 Concerning access to medical care in workers’ compensation. (Remy Kerr)
SB 5944 Concerning language access providers’ collective bargaining. (Mary Storace)
House Health Care & Wellness
E2SSB 5395 Making improvements to transparency and accountability in the prior authorization determination process. (Andrew Busz)
ESSB 5845 Modernizing and clarifying timely payment requirements for health carriers. (Jennifer Brackeen)
SB 5915 Concerning the health technology assessment program. (Andrew Busz)
SB 6025 Updating the definition of fetal death. (Katarina LaMarche)
Thursday, Feb.19
House Appropriations
SB 6103 Making payments for services provided by a rural emergency hospital subject to appropriation. (Andrew Busz)
Senate Health & Long-Term Care
ESHB 2242 Preserving access to preventive services by clarifying state authority and definitions. (Mary Storace)
SHB 2152 Permitting the medical use of cannabis by qualifying patients in specified health care facilities. (Remy Kerr)
ESHB 2110 Concerning personnel for ambulance service interfacility specialty care transports. (Remy Kerr)
HB 2340 Applying substance use disorder monitoring program provisions to nursing assistants. (Remy Kerr)
Senate Ways & Means
HB 2385 Concerning the Medicaid access program. (Andrew Busz)
Friday, Feb. 20
Senate Health & Long-Term Care
SHB 2577 Concerning hospital inspections. (Remy Kerr)
SB 5944 Concerning language access providers’ collective bargaining. (Mary Storace)
HB 2540 Concerning emergency medical technician recertification. (Katarina LaMarche and Mary Storace)
House Health Care & Wellness
SSB 5185 Establishing a pilot program that creates a pathway to physician licensure for international medical graduates. (Mary Storace)
2SSB 5981 Concerning the 340B drug pricing program. (Remy Kerr and Andrew Busz)
ESSB 6210 Concerning the health plan certification process (Jennifer Brackeen)
Senate Labor & Commerce
HB 2264 Concerning unemployment insurance benefits for workers separated from employment as a result of employer-initiated layoffs or workforce reductions. (Remy Kerr)
State Government & Tribal Relations
2SSB 5968 Improving regulatory efficiency by integrating executive order 25-03, concerning permitting and licensing processes, into chapter 43.42A RCW (Katarina LaMarche)
Civil Rights & Judiciary
ESSB 5906 Establishing data and personal safety protections within areas of public accommodation for all Washington residents. (Katarina LaMarche)
| Thank you for testifying!
Thank you to everyone who testified in support of WSHA’s legislative efforts last week:
|
