News

The deadline to apply for health insurance through Washington Health Benefit Exchange is Friday December 23 at 11:59 p.m. for coverage that begins January 1. Open enrollment will continue through January 31 for coverage beginning March 1. ... Read More >>

Recent member news from the December 22, 2016 Weekly Report.... Read More >>

WSHA members often can have formularies that can have as many as 4,000 different drugs, and generally less than 1 percent of those will be controlled substances. Insuring that regulatory compliance is followed when these drugs are disposed of can be a daunting task. Industry Partner Stericyle has written an article that highlights some of the dangers and difficulties that come with disposing of controlled substances, and offers suggestions and resources on how to create a successful program that can insure compliance.... Read More >>

On April 1, 2017, the Health Care Authority (HCA) plans to update the outpatient weights used for payment under the Enhanced Ambulatory Payment Group (EAPG) system at prospective payment hospitals. ... Read More >>

Last week the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) issued a proposed rule on prior authorizations.... Read More >>

Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized and posted its Medicare Outpatient Observation Notification (MOON) form. ... Read More >>

Wednesday Governor Inslee released his state budget proposal, which includes more funding for mental health services but unfortunately also includes a cut of $42 million over the two year period for services to Medicaid enrollees at hospital-based clinics... Read More >>

Governor Inslee released his proposed budget for the next biennium on Wednesday afternoon. The big news is that it includes $4.4 billion in new revenue, allowing for significant spending increases in education, behavioral health services and salary increases for state employees.... Read More >>

President Obama signed the Cures bill into law this week. The centerpieces of the catch-all bill are aimed at speeding up the process for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of new drugs and medical devices, and boosting reach funds for National Institutes of Health (NIH). Sen. Patty Murray was instrumental in the development of the FDA and NIH provisions.... Read More >>

Recent member news from the December 15, 2016 Weekly Report.... Read More >>