2022 WSMA Legislative Priorities

The 2022 Washington state legislative session convened on Monday, Jan. 10 for what looks to be a mostly virtual 60-day “short” session. The 2022 session will likely be focused on making tweaks to the budget and policy bills that passed last session, as well as COVID-19 response efforts, the environment, and more.

While the WSMA will engage on a variety of issues impacting the house of medicine during the 2022 session, here is a small preview of pending fiscal and priority issues expected to be considered:

Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Increase
View WSMA's issue brief on Medicaid reimbursement rate increase.

Balance billing (House Bill 1688) and network adequacy (House Bill 1889)

• The WSMA will seek to preserve important protections in the state’s balance billing law, and is proposing network adequacy legislation to ensure a level playing field for contracting and to increase transparency and accountability around insurance carrier contracting practices. View WSMA's issue brief on network access.

Scope of practice
View WSMA's issue brief on understanding the education and training of physicians  

• Naturopaths: Senate Bill 5088 would increase the naturopathic scope of practice to include increased prescriptive authority and allowance to conduct “minor office-based procedures” without specifically stipulating additional education and training. View WSMA’s naturopath proposal issue brief.
• ARNPs: Senate Bill 5704 would require health carriers to reimburse advanced registered nurse practitioners at the same rate as physicians in the same service area. View WSMA's issue brief on ARNP payment methodologies.
• Optometrists: Senate Bill 5542 would increase the scope of practice for optometrists to include potentially dangerous surgical procedures, including those that utilize scalpels, lasers, and injections, and would increase their prescriptive authority without specifically stipulated additional education and training. View WSMA's issue brief on optometric scope of practice.

As a reminder, the WSMA’s Outreach & Advocacy Report, containing updates about WSMA’s advocacy efforts and opportunities for engagement, will be disseminated on a weekly basis during session, typically each Friday. WSMA members who would like to opt in to receive the WSMA OA Report may email shelby@wsma.org.

Important Dates to Keep in Mind

Feb. 3: Policy committee cutoff

Feb. 7 at 5:30 p.m.: WSMA Legislative Summit – register here!

Feb. 7: Fiscal committee cutoff

Feb. 15: House of origin cutoff

Feb. 24: Policy committee cutoff – opposite house

Feb. 28: Fiscal committee cutoff – opposite house

Mar. 4: Opposite house cutoff

Mar. 10: Last day of session