| numerous-special-elections-on-tap-for-2025 | Numerous Special Elections on Tap for 2025 | Latest_News | Shared_Content/News/advocacy-report/2025/may-16/numerous-special-elections-on-tap-for-2025 | <div class="col-md-12">
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<h5>May 16, 2025</h5>
<h2>Numerous Special Elections on Tap for 2025</h2>
<p>2025 is a unique post-presidential election year for Washington state as there is an array of special elections for legislative seats slated in November. A combination of retirements, elections to higher offices, and appointments made by Gov. Bob Ferguson necessitates at least nine special elections across six legislative districts. Washington Medical Political Action Committee-better known as WAMPAC, the nonpartisan campaign arm of the WSMA-will monitor and engage in these campaigns to highlight the priorities of the house of medicine.</p>
<h3>Special election process</h3>
<p>When a vacancy arises in the Legislature, generally the board of county commissioners or county council bears the responsibility to select a replacement. As outlined in the state constitution, the local political party of the departing legislator nominates three replacements for consideration and the board or council picks from that list. If a decision isn't reached within 60 days of a vacancy occurring, the governor has 30 days to make an appointment. Then, a special election is held for the voters to determine who will hold the seat for the remainder of the legislative term whether that is the appointee or another candidate who runs for the position.</p>
<h3>5th Legislative District</h3>
<p>State Sen. Bill Ramos died unexpectedly on April 19 and the process to fill this vacancy has not yet begun at the time of this writing. Current Rep. Victoria Hunt plans to seek the Senate seat, potentially creating another vacancy in the 5th district. The 5th District includes Issaquah, Renton, and Snoqualmie, among other areas.</p>
<h3>26th Legislative District</h3>
<p>Former state Sen. Emily Randall was elected to Congress during the 2024 elections, creating an open Senate seat in the 26th District. Deborah Krishnadasan was appointed to fill the vacancy, serving as the district's state senator during the 2025 legislative session. Rep. Michelle Caldier, the Republican representative in this district, has announced she will also run for the Senate seat. The 26th District includes parts of Kitsap and Pierce counties and is one of the few remaining swing districts in the state.</p>
<h3>33rd Legislative District</h3>
<p>The most tenured member of the state Senate, Sen. Karen Keiser, announced her retirement last year, after serving the 33rd Legislative District for 29 years. Her retirement came mid-term and Tina Orwall, a longtime member of the House representing the same district, was appointed to fill the Senate seat. Sen. Orwall will run for election in November to retain the Senate seat and finish out the legislative term. This domino effect created an open House seat in the 33rd District and Rep. Edwin Obras was appointed and will also face an election in November to retain his seat. Both Sen. Orwall and Rep. Obras sit on their chamber's respective health care committees.</p>
<h3>34th Legislative District</h3>
<p>Following Gov. Ferguson's election, he selected then-state Sen. Joe Nguyen of the 34th Legislative District to serve as the director of the Washington State Department of Commerce. Then-Rep. Emily Alvarado was selected to his Senate seat and Brianna Thomas was appointed to the resulting vacated House seat. Both Alvarado and Thomas are expected to run in November to retain their positions. The 34th District encompasses West Seattle, Vashon Island, and parts of Burien and White Center.</p>
<h3>41st Legislative District</h3>
<p>In another open seat created due to Gov. Ferguson's appointments, then-Rep. Tana Senn was selected to lead the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families. The King County Council appointed Bellevue City Councilmember Janice Zahn, who will run to retain the seat. The 41st District includes Mercer Island and the surrounding cities and is reliably Democratic.</p>
<h3>48th Legislative District</h3>
<p>Patty Kuderer was elected to statewide office, becoming the state's insurance commissioner and leaving an open Senate seat. Then-state Rep. Vandana Slatter was selected to fill the Senate position and Osman Salahuddin was appointed to the House seat. Sen. Slatter sits on the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee and Rep. Salahuddin worked as a researcher at Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center and UW Medicine. Both legislators are expected to run to retain their respective seats, and current 48th District Rep. Amy Walen has signaled she will also run for the Senate seat against her former seatmate.</p>
<h3>Stay engaged-join the WAMPAC Diamond Club</h3>
<p>Your engagement on campaigns makes a difference as we work year-round to strengthen the voice of medicine in politics. A new WAMPAC Diamond Club membership cycle has begun, and our effectiveness depends on the support of physicians like you! Diamond Club members receive special recognition at WSMA events, insider election updates, opportunities to connect with elected officials, and more. Invest in the Diamond Club today by visiting the WAMPAC webpage at <a href="[@]wampac">wsma.org/wampac</a>. If you have questions about WAMPAC's campaign activities, contact WAMPAC Director Alex Wehinger at <a href="mailto:alex@wsma.org">alex@wsma.org</a>.</p>
</div> | 5/16/2025 12:00:00 AM | 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM |
| take-the-doh-health-professional-shortage-area-survey | Take the DOH Health Professional Shortage Area Survey | Latest_News | Shared_Content/News/advocacy-report/2025/may-16/take-the-doh-health-professional-shortage-area-survey | <div class="col-md-12">
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<h5>May 16, 2025</h5>
<h2>Take the DOH Health Professional Shortage Area Survey</h2>
<p>Health professional shortage areas refer to geographic regions, specific population groups, or health care facilities that lack sufficient primary, dental, or mental health care physicians or practitioners to meet the population's needs. The federal government designates these areas and assesses them, and assigns a score based on national data sets. A crucial component in this assessment is the provider data collected by individual states.</p>
<p>The Primary Care Office of the Washington State Department of Health is responsible for <a href="https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/opinio/s?s=HPSAProviderSurvey">surveying all physicians and practitioners</a> eligible for HPSA designation in Washington. This process ensures that the most recent data is incorporated into the system, allowing for the evaluation of current HPSA designations or the creation of new ones that meet federal eligibility requirements during the national updates. If you have not submitted an HPSA survey in the past 24 months or if there have been changes in your current work status, please <a href="https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/opinio/s?s=HPSAProviderSurvey">complete the survey</a>.</p>
<h3>Why are HPSAs Important?</h3>
<p>State and federal agencies use HPSA designations to prioritize and allocate limited resources to areas with unmet health care needs. Workforce programs utilize HPSAs to help determine eligibility for their services.</p>
<ul>
<li>CMS HPSA Bonus Payment Program</li>
<li>National Health Service Corps</li>
<li>CMS Rural Health Clinic Program</li>
<li>Nurse Corps</li>
<li>IHS Loan Repayment Program</li>
<li>WA Health Corps</li>
<li>J-1 Visa Waiver</li>
</ul>
<h3>Take the survey</h3>
<p>Take the <a href="https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/opinio/s?s=HPSAProviderSurvey">survey online</a> or access a printable version on the <a href="https://doh.wa.gov/public-health-provider-resources/rural-health/useful-links">Department of Health website</a>.<br />
To request a spreadsheet for multiple practitioners, please contact the Department of Health at <a href="mailto:PCO@doh.wa.gov">PCO@doh.wa.gov</a>.</p>
</div> | 5/16/2025 12:00:00 AM | 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM |
| wsma-opposes-house-republican-proposed-cuts-to-medicaid | WSMA Opposes House Republican Proposed Cuts to Medicaid | Latest_News | Shared_Content/News/advocacy-report/2025/may-16/wsma-opposes-house-republican-proposed-cuts-to-medicaid | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-sm-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/Newsletters/advocacy-report/2025/may/istock-1442379947-for-web-645x425px.jpg" class="pull-right" alt="female doctor showing a tablet screen to a mom and daughter" /></div>
<h5>May 16, 2025</h5>
<h2>WSMA Opposes House Republican Proposed Cuts to Medicaid </h2>
<p><em>Send a message to your member of Congress today</em> </p>
<p>Earlier this week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved significant reforms to the Medicaid program as part of a broader Republican budget package. The reforms include massive cuts to the Medicaid program that would have a severe impact on patient care in Washington state. </p>
<p>The WSMA continues outreach to all members of Washington's congressional delegation. On Tuesday, we sent letters to the two Republican members, <a href="javascript://[Uploaded files/News and Publications/newsletters/2025/wsma-letter-to-rep-newhouse-05132025.pdf]" target="_blank">Rep. Dan Newhouse</a>&nbsp;and <a href="javascript://[Uploaded files/News and Publications/newsletters/2025/wsma-letter-to-rep-baumgartner-05132025.pdf]" target="_blank">Rep. Michael Baumgartner</a>, urging them to not support any bill that would significantly reduce Medicaid funding to our state. In the letter, WSMA President John Bramhall, MD, PhD, says:</p>
<p>"Nationwide, the current proposal would impose $715 billion in cuts to health care and result in more than 13.7 million Medicaid and Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollees losing coverage. While the legislation stops short of imposing per-capita caps on Medicaid, it includes equally damaging restrictions on longstanding Medicaid financing mechanisms. </p>
<p>These proposed changes would have severe consequences for Washington state, intensifying our existing budget challenges and destabilizing the health care system-particularly in rural areas where Medicaid is a primary coverage source. Physician reimbursement already falls short of the cost of care, and further reductions or limitations on payments would deprive frontline physicians of critical resources, reduce access to care, and worsen health outcomes across our communities." </p>
<p>Provisions include: </p>
<ul>
<li>Restrictions and moratoriums that would eliminate provider and managed care taxes thereby significantly decreasing Medicaid program funding in Washington state and jeopardizing approval of the WSMA's Medicaid Access Program. </li>
<li>Reducing federal matching funds for the 14 states that cover undocumented residents with state-only funding, including Washington. </li>
<li>Defunding of non-profits that provide family planning and reproductive health care. </li>
<li>To review and monitor these and additional provisions as the legislation moves its way through Congress, view the KFF <a href="https://www.kff.org/tracking-the-medicaid-provisions-in-the-2025-budget-bill/">Medicaid Provisions in the 2025 Reconciliation Bill tracker</a>. </li>
</ul>
<p>The bill now advances to the House Budget Committee. The full House of Representatives is expected to pass the measure by Memorial Day, after which the Senate will consider. Congress' goal is to deliver the bill to President Donald Trump by July 4. </p>
<p>Take time right now to <a href="https://takeaction.wsma.org/no-federal-medicaid-cuts/?_zs=Pimae1&amp;_zl=Wj6DA">send your member of Congress a message</a>, urging them to vote against cuts to the Medicaid program. </p>
<h3>Join our national patient texting campaign </h3>
<p>The WSMA has joined the Protect Our Healthcare Coalition in launching a nationwide peer-to-peer Medicaid texting campaign and we need volunteers. </p>
<p>Using a secure platform called RumbleUp, you'll send prewritten, personalized messages to voters in key congressional districts urging them to call their members of Congress to oppose Medicaid cuts. All texts are sent through RumbleUp's secure platform; your personal phone number is never used. </p>
<p><a href="https://wsma.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0xMTk3NDAwNSZwPTEmdT0xMDc4MTA4MzYwJmxpPTExNTcyNDEyNw/index.html">Learn more and volunteer today</a>. </p>
<h3>A small bright spot </h3>
<p>
While the WSMA strongly opposes the proposed Medicaid cuts, we recognize one positive provision in the proposed budget package: an update to Medicare physician payments tied to the Medicare Economic Index. This update, long advocated by the WSMA and physician groups nationwide, would better align payment rates with practice growth costs, offering much needed stability to physicians treating Medicare patients. If finalized, 2026 would see a conversion factor based on 75% of the Medicare Economic Index and 10% in subsequent years. </p>
</div> | 5/16/2025 12:00:00 AM | 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM |