Washington Business Fall 2016 | Legislative Review | Page 29

issue area reports | health care

than 96 hours per patient. This bill,
sponsored by Rep. Steve Tharinger,
D-Dungeness, allows rural hospitals that
have been certified as CAH to participate
in the Washington Rural Health Access
Preservation pilot project without
relinquishing their ability to return to
their previous payment and licensing
status as a CAH. We also supported the
refinements made through Rep. Shelly
Short ’s, R-Addy, amendment which
refined the legislation to include goals
for the pilots, optional participation by
hospitals, and progress reports. This is
yet another way to deliver life-saving
care in ways that build on successful
health care models, like CAHs. The
bill received unanimous support in the
House and Senate.

ESHB 2458

prescription drug
donation program
Passed/AWB Supported

Patient costs continue to be a discussion
in the Legislature and among Washingtonians. Engrossed Substitute House Bill
2458, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Parker,
R-Spokane, offers another innovative
way to offset the out-of-pocket costs of
prescription medication. The measure,
which takes effect Jan. 1, 2017, creates a
program to allow individuals to donate
unused prescription drugs that meet
certain quality standards to a pharmacy for
redistribution to patients at no cost. The bill
passed the House and Senate unanimously
and was signed by the governor March 29.

SSB 6519

telemedicine

Passed/AWB Supported
Continued progress was made to
further expand access and define telemedicine services this session with
Substitute Senate Bill 6519, sponsored

Sen. Randi Becker, R-Eatonville, chairs the Senate Health Care Committee. Sen. Bruce Dammeier
(left), R-Puyallup, is vice chair. Sen. Annette Cleveland (right), D-Vancouver, is the ranking Democrat
on the committee.

by Sen. Randi Becker, R-Eatonville. This
legislation allows for more specialty care
in a broader scope of sites, including
home sites, and creates a collaborative with
the University of Washington to refine the
services and set up criteria. Telemedicine
is especially critical for people who live in
rural areas, when traveling is difficult for
the patient and residents living in a location that doesn’t have in-person access to
the specialty doctor required for their full
medical treatment. This bill is a reflection
of positive reforms that can happen within
our state health care system.

Senate Bill 6569. It sets up a much-

SSB 6569

special session when the House and

needed task force to evaluate factors
contributing to out-of-pocket costs for
patients, which is a consistent concern
of AWB members. It passed the House
a n d S e n a t e w i t h s t ro n g b i p a r t i s a n
support and was sent to the governor
for signature. Unfortunately, it was one
of the 27 bills he vetoed March 10 as
punishment for lawmakers failing to
pass a supplemental budget within the
60-day regular session. However, the
legislation was rescued in the 20-day

patient out-of-pocket
costs

Senate voted to override the governor’s

Passed/AWB Supported

The bill was left to become law without

Sponsored by Sen. Annette Cleveland,
D-Vancouver, AWB supported Substitute

t h e g ov e r n o r ’s s i g n a t u r e a n d t o o k

veto, as they did for the 26 other bills.

effect June 28.

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