There is less than a week left in this year’s Washington State Legislative Session, and any bills that don’t pass both chambers by April 17 won’t have a chance to become law until 2020!

Today we are looking at a total of six health care bills, for which we will ask you to make one phone call to the legislature.

Action

Call the Washington State Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 (TTY for Hearing Impaired 800.833.6388. They will ask for your address, and leave a message for your state senator and legislators.

Sample Script

Hi, my name is {NAME}, and I’m calling from {CITY} to ask my legislators to move six health care bills towards passage.

1. SB 5602 and SB 5822 – Please ask my Representatives to work towards the passage of these bills in the House.

2. HB 1224 and HB 1087 – Please ask my Senator to work towards the passage of these bills in the Senate.

3. SB 5526 and HB 1065 – Please ask all of my legislators to reconcile both of these bills across the House and Senate so that Governor Inslee can sign them into law.

Background

SB 5602 – Reproductive HC Access for All

This bill that would dramatically expand access to reproductive health care and family planning services.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5602&Initiative=false&Year=2019

SB 5822 – Pathway to Universal Care Work Group

This bill would establish a working group that would explore creating a state level single-payer health care system.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5822&Initiative=false&Year=2019

SB 5526 – Cascade Care-Increase affordability of HC on individual market exchange

This bill would increase the availability of quality, affordable health coverage in the individual market.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5526&Initiative=false&Year=2019

HB 1065 – Addressing Surprise Billing

This bill would help protect consumers from charges for out-of-network health care services.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1065&Initiative=false&Year=2019

HB 1224 – Rx drug pricing transparency

This bill would improve the transparency of prescription drug pricing by requiring pharmaceutical companies, pharmacy benefit managers, and insurance carriers to begin disclosing costs, rebates received, and the impact of prescription drug price increases on premiums.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1224&Initiative=false&Year=2019

HB 1087 – Long-Term Care Trust Act

This bill would create a public long-term care benefit that Washington workers would pay into, and eventually be able to claim benefits from for services like skilled nursing care, meal preparation, and home health services.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1087&Initiative=false&Year=2019