Government Affairs Government Affairs
Every day Community Health Plan serves as a leading advocate for Washington residents who are either uninsured or underinsured. As the primary safety net plan for Washington State, the Plan is recognized for regularly putting patients before profits.
Our goal is to advance health care access and eliminate disparities in medical care. To this end, we dedicate thousands of employee hours each year to inform and educate state and federal government policy makers on behalf of our communities.
We also know it takes action to ensure access to health care for every person in Washington. So, across the state we organize within the communities we serve and work directly with consumers, service providers, and advocacy groups to make health care more widely available and to create programs and systems that address the growing need for affordable health care.
Legislative Update
After 60 days of regular session and a 29-day special session, the 2010 Legislature passed a one-year budget that preserves funding for primary care safety net programs, including Basic Health, Disability Lifeline (formerly General Assistance-Unemployable), Community Health Services grants, basic adult dental care and maternity support services for Medicaid recipients, and Apple Health for Kids. These programs are the foundation for ensuring that children, low-income adults and the uninsured receive cost-effective health care services.
In the end, the Legislature made the tough decision to balance the budget by closing tax loopholes, raising new revenue and making targeted cuts. New revenues are a small part of the overall budget solution, accounting for only eight percent of the solution to the two-year budget deficit. But these revenues had a big impact; without them health care programs that form the fabric of our state’s health care safety net would have disappeared. Legislators’ courageous decision to raise revenue to help fund these programs will help hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians continue to receive the care they need, while maintaining programs that will be critical in the implementation of federal health care reform.
A summary of Session outcomes include:
- Basic Health: Maintained
- Community Health Services (CHS) Grants: Maintained
- Disability Lifeline (GA-U): Maintained with time limits
- Apple Health for Kids: Maintained
- Medicaid Dental Program: Reduced
- Maternity Support Services (MSS): Maintained
For more information and to learn more about specific ways you can get involved in shaping the future of health care in Washington State, please visit our Community Health Network of Washington pages.
Community Health Plan of Washington is an active advocate in policy and governmental relations carrying the voice of Washington residents. Our goal is to advance health care access and eliminate disparities in medical care.
