issue area reports | health care
Rep . Joe Schmick , R-Colfax , is the ranking Republican on the House Health Care & Wellness Committee .
2ESHB 2340 washington state health insurance pool ( wship )
Failed / AWB Supported
The Washington State Health Insurance Pool ( WSHIP ) is the high risk insurance pool created in 1987 to provide coverage for those individuals who are unable to obtain comprehensive health care coverage or Medicare supplemental coverage . The participants covered under WSHIP have very complex medical needs and despite the intent of the ACA to extend access , their medical conditions are not covered under Medicare . Due to the complexity of these conditions and without regular medical surveillance , many of these participants will end up in emergency care and add to the growing cost of the overall health care system .
Funding for the WSHIP pool comes from a variety of sources including non-profit groups , but one of the leading funding sources is an assessment on individual health care plans . AWB pressed to have the funding mechanism reevaluated so businesses and individuals who pay for their own insurance do not bear the brunt of this additional assessment . This legislation , sponsored by Rep . Joe Schmick , R-Colfax , would have extended the pool for only one year in order to review and explore alternative funding solutions , along with an overall evaluation of the entire pool . Second Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2340 went through several revisions . The final version would have allowed new enrollees and eliminated critical reviews of the overall program , which AWB could not support . There are solutions to this issue , yet the legislation died in the Rules Committee with the current funding mechanism — billing individual health plans — still in place and the pool closing in December 2017 .
ESHB 2450 critical access hospitals
Passed / AWB Supported
Critical Access Hospitals ( CAH ) are a vital part of the state ’ s health care system , particularly in rural regions where a major hospital could be hours away . As such , there are 39 hospitals in Washington that are certified as CAHs . These are hospitals with 25 beds or less that are generally located in rural areas . They must deliver continuous emergency department services and they may not have an average length of stay of more
special edition 2016 25