We are pleased to report that many of WSHA’s proactive Protect Patient Safety & Access bills have been introduced, and two are receiving hearings this week: a bill that would allow Washington State to join the multistate Nurse Licensure Compact and another that would establish a loan repayment assistance program for eligible nurses. A very problematic bill focusing on the Health Care Cost Transparency Board will also receive a public hearing this week.
HB 1417: Concerning the multistate nurse licensure compact
WSHA strongly supports HB 1417, which allows Washington to join the 37 other states and two jurisdictions that are already a part of the multistate Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). The NLC allows for nurses to meet uniform license requirements to practice in all participating states and jurisdictions, making it easier for nurses to begin practicing in Washington State. There are more than 2 million nurses working in an NLC state or jurisdiction.
The NLC is especially helpful for military families and communities that border adjacent states, with Idaho and many other states with military bases having already adopted the NLC. Being a compact state is an important consideration for the Federal Base Realignment and Closure process.
To respond to the increased need for health care personnel, Gov. Inslee issued a COVID-19 emergency proclamation, the Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act, which allowed the state Department of Health (DOH) to activate emergency volunteer health care providers licensed out of state. Volunteers who were in good standing in their home states were allowed to practice in Washington without a state license.
The success of the proclamation demonstrates that out-of-state licensed health care staff can be successfully integrated with proper oversight in Washington. The act expired with the state of emergency, and we have no help from the state to quickly bring in needed staff. Read more from WSHA’s issue brief.
The House Committee on Postsecondary Education & Workforce will hold a public hearing on HB 1417 at 8 a.m. Friday, Feb. 3, and WSHA will testify in support. WSHA’s input played a key role in crafting this legislation. (Ashlen Strong)
SB 5498: Creating the hospital-based nurse student loan repayment assistance program under the Washington health corps
WSHA strongly supports SB 5498, which establishes the Washington State hospital-based nurse student loan repayment assistance program under the Washington Health Corps for registered nurses employed by hospitals in Washington State. This would benefit nurses who are not already receiving another form of student loan repayment assistance. Through a partnership between participating hospitals and the state, the program would pay half of 130% of the median hospital-based nurses’ student loan payment (about $329 per month, on average) for the duration of their service commitment, greatly easing the burden of student loans.
The proposal requires participating hospitals – if they are not critical access, Medicare dependent or sole community hospitals – to fund 50% of the student loan repayment assistance provided to their employees under the program. This hospital-state partnership will allow the program to fund more student loan repayment assistance than a fully state-funded program. This would help make Washington hospitals a destination state for already trained nurses and provide helpful assistance to nurses who are already working in Washington. Read more from WSHA’s issue brief.
The Senate Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development will hold a public hearing on SB 5498 at 8 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 1, and WSHA will testify in support. WSHA’s input played a key role in crafting this legislation. (Ashlen Strong)
HB 1508: Improving consumer affordability through the health care cost transparency board
WSHA strongly opposes HB 1508, which bolsters the work of the state’s Health Care Cost Transparency Board. The Board was established in 2020 to monitor health care spending and establish a health care cost growth benchmark. HB 1508 allows the Board to enforce the benchmark with performance improvement plans and impose fines on providers that do not meet the benchmark. The board set an unrealistic benchmark of 3.2% that failed to take into consideration that nationally and in our state, we are facing historic levels of inflation. Hospitals are not immune to these inflationary pressures.
WSHA also opposes HB 1508 because the Board operates under the presumption that Washington is a high-cost health care state. However, Washington ranks ninth nationally in hospital labor costs and ninth nationally in patient severity. Taking this into account, Washington ranks 29th in health care spending, nationally, according to the Medicare Case Index Mix. WSHA also has concerns with the methodology the Board uses in establishing benchmarks, as it does not take into account important factors that influence cost-drivers in the health care industry.
The House Committee on Health Care & Wellness will hold a public hearing on HB 1508 at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, and WSHA will testify in opposition. (Katerina LaMarche)
WSHA Weighing In: Jan. 30-Feb. 3
WSHA is weighing in on the following bills this week:
Monday, Jan. 30
- House Appropriations
- SHB 1009: Concerning military spouse employment. (Ashlen Strong)
- House Regulated Substances & Gaming
- HB 1497: Preventing use of vapor and tobacco products by minors. (Remy Kerr)
- Senate Human Services
- SB 5302: Establishing a property tax exemption for adult family homes that serve people with intellectual or developmental disabilities and are owned by a nonprofit. (Zosia Stanley)
- Senate Ways & Means
- SB 5538: Concerning postretirement employment in nursing positions for a state agency. (Remy Kerr)
Tuesday, Jan. 31
- House Health Care & Wellness
- HB 1547: Increasing the health care workforce by authorizing out-of-state providers to practice immediately. (Katerina LaMarche)
- House Postsecondary Education & Workforce
- HB 1503: Collecting health care professionals’ information at the time of license application and license renewal. (Katerina LaMarche)
- Senate Health & Long Term Care
- SB 5184: Concerning licensure of anesthesiologist assistants. (Katerina LaMarche)
Wednesday, Feb. 1
- House Appropriations
- SHB 1168: Providing prevention services, diagnoses, treatment, and support for prenatal substance exposure. (Cara Helmer)
- House Health Care & Wellness
- HB 1508: Improving consumer affordability through the health care cost transparency board. See article above. (Katerina LaMarche)
- House Human Services, Youth & Early Learning
- HB 1580: Creating a system to support children in crisis. (Cara Helmer)
- Senate Environment, Energy & Technology
- SB 5562: Supporting Washington’s clean energy economy and transitioning to a clean, affordable, and reliable energy future. (Remy Kerr)
- Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development
- SB 5498: Creating the hospital-based nurse student loan repayment assistance program under the Washington health corps. See article above. (Ashlen Strong)
- SB 5582: Reducing barriers and expanding educational opportunities to increase the supply of nurses in Washington. (Katerina LaMarche)
Thursday, Feb. 3
- Senate Health & Long Term Care
- SB 5481: Concerning the uniform telemedicine act. (Remy Kerr)
- Senate Human Services
- SB 5506: Establishing an enhanced behavior support homes model. (Andrew Busz)
Friday, Feb. 4
- House Postsecondary Education & Workforce
- HB 1417: Concerning the multistate nurse licensure compact. See article above. (Ashlen Strong)
- Senate Health & Long Term Care
- SB 5066: Concerning health care benefit managers. (Andrew Busz)
- SB 5213: Concerning pharmacy benefit managers. (Andrew Busz)
- SB 5300: Concerning continuity of coverage for prescription drugs prescribed for the treatment of behavioral health conditions. (Andrew Busz)
Thank you for testifying!
Thank you to everyone who testified in support of WSHA’s legislative efforts over the last week:
- Suzanne Daly, Vice President, Payer Strategy and Contracting, MultiCare Health System
- Jon Duarte, Chief Strategy Officer, Overlake Medical Center & Clinics
- David Hargreaves, Board Chair, MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital
- Dhyan Lal, Vice President, Payor Strategy and Accountable Care, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
- Eric Moll, CEO, Mason Health
- Bill Robertson, CEO, MultiCare Health System
