Washington Business 2019 Legislative Review & Vote Record | Page 25

issue area reports | healthcare openings. With projected job growth it is vitally important that Washington state support its workers through programs such as the long-term services and supports program. This legislation passed the Senate 26-22 and the House concurred with final passage by a vote of 55-41. ESSB 5526 increasing the availability of quality, affordable health coverage in the individual market Passed/AWB Opposed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5526, referred to as the Cascade Plan, sponsored by Sen. David Frockt, D-Seattle, requires the Washington Health Benefit Exchange to develop standardized plans and the Washington State Health Care Authority to contract with health carriers to offer standardized qualified health plans and develop a plan for premium subsidies for individuals purchasing coverage on the Washington Health Benefit Exchange. In addition to the unknown of how much the subsides for a public option will cost the state, AWB is concerned with the following potential outcomes of the public option as passed in ESSB 5526: increased cost of employer sponsored health care benefits. • Employer health spending has grown from 6% of total wages in 1988 to more t ha n 12% in 2018. 2019 w ill be t he sixth consecutive year with an over 5% increase for employer sponsored health insurance, with premiums and out-of- pocket costs for employees and their dependents averag ing $14,800 next year. Fortunately, employers continue to cover 70% of that cost on average. PwC Health Research Institute analysis of Congressional Budget Office data shows Bill considered as part of AWB’s voting record t h e C a s c a d e Pl a n w i l l exacerbate this situation through cost shifting. decrea sed access to health care. • With reimbursement rates capped at 160% of Medicare rates, health care providers in Washington state may be reluctant to take patients w it h t he Ca scade Pla n . According to the Centers for Med ica re/ Med ica id Services, 820 Washington state providers opted out of the Medicare program completely in 2017. This is t he eight h-highest in the nation a nd does not account for those health care providers who limit the number of Medicare recipients they will take on as patients. This pla n w ill cont inue the trend of increasing the cost of health care and will also decrease access to health care. This legislation passed in conference committee in the House 56-41 and the Senate 27-21. Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, is ranking minority member of the House Human Services & Early Learning Committee. Rep. Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, serves on the Consumer Protection & Business Committee. SHB 1605 requiring traumatic brain injury screenings for children entering the foster care system Passed/AWB Supported Substitute House Bill 1605, sponsored by Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, requires the Department of Children, Youth, and Fami- lies (DCYF) to evaluate traumatic brain injury (TBI) screening tools that can be Favorable outcome for Washington businesses used with children entering out-of-home care. The bill requires DCYF to provide a report on this evaluation to the Legislature by Dec. 1, 2019. TBI’s are often found in chil- dren who have been abused or neglected, a population who makes up the majority of the out-of-home care, or foster care, partici- pants in Washington state. It is critical that the full extent of a child’s physical state of being be assessed prior to placing them in state supported care to provide the neces- sary care for them to recover and thrive. This legislation passed the House and Sen- ate with unanimous votes. Missed Opportunities special edition 2019 23