The big news this week is that SB 5236 (mandating ratios by rulemaking) and SB 5103 (which increases the Medicaid administrative day rate for patients who are unable to be discharged from hospitals) have advanced from their respective committees and will now be subject to public hearings in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means.
SB 5236: Concerning hospital staffing standards
WSHA strongly opposes SB 5236, which most notably creates nurse-to-patient ratios by rule, but also contains restrictions to the use of on-call, and changes nurse staffing committees. Read more details about SB 5236 in the Jan. 16 Inside Olympia. The Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce passed SB 5236 and referred to the Senate Committee on Ways & Means, which will hold a public hearing on the bill at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16. We strongly encourage you to join WSHA in opposition to this bill by signing in here. WSHA will testify in opposition to SB 5236. (Ashlen Strong)
SB 5103: Concerning payment to acute care hospitals for difficult to discharge Medicaid patients
WSHA strongly supports SB 5103, which now seeks to increase the administrative day rate to $700 a day, up from about $339 per day currently. The bill was amended in Senate Health Care to provide increased clarity to the state and managed care organizations on payment methodologies. Specifically, the bill also seeks to clarify in law that for patients who are unable to be discharged, hospitals can bill and be paid separately for certain ancillary services, such as surgical procedures, and kidney dialysis that would not be available in in a skilled nursing or other facility and are not include in the per diem payment.
The Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care passed SB 5103 and referred it to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, which will hold a public hearing on the bill at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16. WSHA will testify in support of the bill. (Andrew Busz)
WSHA Weighing In: Feb. 13-17
WSHA is weighing in on the following bills this week:
Monday, Feb. 13
- Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education
- SB 5710: Providing access to behavioral health services to youth in rural and underserved areas. (Katerina LaMarche)
- SB 5710: Providing access to behavioral health services to youth in rural and underserved areas. (Zosia Stanley)
Tuesday, Feb. 14
- House Labor & Workplace Standards
- HB 1320: Concerning access to personnel records. (Remy Kerr)
- House Postsecondary Education & Workforce
- HB 1733: Accessing degrees in nursing. (Katerina LaMarche)
- Senate Ways & Means
- SSB 5124: Supporting guardianships and voluntary placement with nonrelative kin. (Zosia Stanley)
Wednesday, Feb. 15
- House Health Care & Wellness
- HB 1713: Increasing access to health care services in rural and underserved areas of the state. (Andrew Busz)
Thursday, Feb. 16
- Senate Ways & Means
- SB 5095: Creating the “parks Rx” health and wellness pilot programs. (Andrew Busz)
- SSB 5103: Concerning payment to acute care hospitals for difficult to discharge Medicaid patients. (Andrew Busz)
- SSB 5189: Establishing behavioral health support specialists. (Andrew Busz)
- SSB 5236: Concerning hospital staffing standards. (Ashlen Strong)
Thank you for testifying!
Thank you to everyone who testified in support of WSHA’s legislative efforts over the last week:
- Jennifer Burkhardt, Chief Legal & Talent Officer, Summit Pacific Medical Center
- Jennifer Graham, Chief Nurse Executive, MultiCare Deaconess and Valley hospitals
- Jackie Mossakowski, Chief Nursing Officer, Tri State Memorial Hospital
- Dana Nelson-Peterson, Division Vice President of Nursing Operations, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
- Renee Rassilyer-Bomers, Chief Nursing Officer, Providence Swedish
- Vickie Swanson, Chief Nursing Officer, Olympic Medical Center
