March 4, 2010 - Volume 10, Number 8
ACTION NEEDED: Hospital Safety Net Assessment
Background: House Bill (HB) 2956, creating the Hospital Safety Net Assessment program, has made its way through the House committees and will now be voted on by the full House. The assessment will give hospitals access to increased federal Medicaid funding and help mitigate the devastating hospital Medicaid cuts made last session.
The problematic amendments that would have given funding to other programs have been removed. The fact that the amendments are acceptable to hospitals is especially important to Republicans.
Action needed: Please contact all members of the House of Representatives from your area and urge them to vote in favor of HB 2956. To find your legislators’ contact information, go to www.leg.wa.gov or see WSHA’s spreadsheet of hospitals and legislators.
Message: ?Please vote for House Bill 2956 when it comes up for a vote in the full House. The bill creates the Hospital Safety Net Assessment program. This is an innovative solution to mitigate the deep cuts the state legislature made last year to hospital Medicaid services for low-income people. Access to hospital care for families and children covered by Medicaid and Apple Health for Kids is at risk from these cuts.
The assessment is a way to bring in more federal Medicaid money for Washington hospitals. They essentially loan their funds to the state to draw down new federal Medicaid matching funds. I know the bill has been amended, but the problematic amendments have been removed. The funding will be used to ensure ongoing, high quality hospital services for Medicaid and Apple Health for Kids enrollees and shore up a fragile hospital system.
HB 2956 is a very important bill for our hospital and our community. We are counting on your support.
NEXT STEP: Please let Cassie Sauer (cassies@wsha.org; 206/216-2538) know when you have made contact with your legislators and what responses you received. Thank you!