What’s Our Policy?
The WSMA Policy Compendium collects all policy as passed by the WSMA House of Delegates. The compendium was last updated October 2025.
Policies are listed below by subject. To search the compendium for a specific policy, click the search icon at the top of this page and enter a keyword(s).
Download a pdf version of the entire WSMA Policy Compendium
NOTE: Pursuant to policy adopted at the 2022 House of Delegates meeting, the WSMA adopted in 2015 a “sunsetting” mechanism through which the WSMA may remove adopted policies from the WSMA Policy Compendium after a period of 5 years, unless the House of Delegates takes action to reaffirm or amend the policy. If the House of Delegates at any time takes action to either reaffirm or amend an existing policy, such action will reset the 5-year sunset period.
WSMA’s positions on issues impacting patients and the practice of medicine.
WSMA Policy Compendium Index
Abortion
Abuse
Children, Elderly Persons, Others at Risk
Access to Health Care (Health Care Reform)
Health Care Reform in the Criminal Justice System
Immigrant Health Care Coverage
Increasing Investment in Primary Care, Including Utilization of the Making Care Primary Model
Medicaid on Reentry from Incarceration
Refugee Access to Primary Care (Interpreter Services)
Accident Prevention
Accreditation/Licensure
National Practitioner Data Bank
Non-Traditional Medical Practitioners
Office Laboratory Accreditation
Single Source Credentialing in Washington State
Uniform Statewide Credentialing Requirement for Medical and Physician Assistant Students
Adolescent Care
Screening for Unhealthy Social Media Use in The Health Care Setting
Undocumented Immigrant Children
Aging
Increasing Access to Mental Health Care for Older Adults
AIDS/HIV
Ethical Responsibility to Treat
Patient Concern and Protection
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis to Reduce HIV Infection
Alcohol and Alcoholism
Reporting of Blood Alcohol Content
Alternative Dispute Resolutions
Alternative Dispute Resolution Processes
American Medical Association
Assisted Reproduction
Artificial Insemination by Donor
Informed Consent, Rights of the Child
Benefits Packages
Standardized Policies and Procedures, Standardized Data System
Biomedical Research
Blood
Cancer
Equity and Justice in Care and Outcomes of Washingtonians with Cancer
Capital Punishment
Participation in Authorized Executions
Castration
Chiropractors
Clinical Investigation
Guidelines for Clinical Investigations
Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act
Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act
Clinical Trials
Reimbursement and Coverage Implications of
Confidentiality
Communicable Disease/Gunshot Wound Reporting
Insurance Company Representative
Patient-Physician Confidentiality
Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Drug Dispensing
Contractual Relationships
Physician-Group Practice Contractual Relations
Physician-Hospital Contractual Relations
Physician-Insurance Plan Contractual Relations
Physician-Medical Care Plan Contractual Relations
Corporal Punishment
Corporal Punishment in Schools
Data Collection
Data Collection and Analysis in Health Care
Release of Provider-Specific Information
WSMA Supports Payment for Health Care Data Collection
Death/Dying
Patient Choice in Managing End of Life Care
Disaster Response
Disciplinary Procedures
Discipline and Medicine
Discrimination
Advancing Gender Equity in Medicine
Discrimination in Physician Employment
Diversity and Inclusion in the Field of Medicine in Washington State
Ensuring Inclusion of Physicians and Medical Students with Disabilities
Ensuring Non-discriminatory Use of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
Increasing Gender Equity in Medicine Through Speaker Invitation and Selection at Medical Conferences
Reducing Racism and Discrimination in Law Enforcement
Removing the Race Coefficient from the Calculation of Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate
Violence Against Asian Americans
Drugs
Harm Reduction Education and Resources
Health Engagement Hub Model of Addiction Treatment
Improving Access to Evidence-Based Harm Reduction
Increase Access Methadone Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
Post Marketing Surveillance/Drug Sampling
Support for Birthing People with Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
Treatment, Correctional Facilities
Education
Education - Medical
Condom Education and Access for Teens
CME Fees for Retired Physicians
Evidence-Based Sex Education in Washington State Schools
Expanding and Standardizing Parental Leave in Medical School and Residency
Improving Obstetric Care in Rural Communities
Promoting Transparency in Medical Education and Access to Training
Training Requirements for Coroners and Medical Examiners
Emergency Medical Services
Expanded Access of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) In Public Spaces
First Aid/Treatment for Overdose Victims
Environmental Health
Decarbonizing the US Health Sector
Hazardous Substances in the Work Place
Health Care Gown Waste Reduction in Washington State
Supporting Rail and Other Non-Single-Occupancy Vehicle Transportation
Fees
Fee-for Service as an Effective Model for the Practice of Medicine
Fee Splitting: Clinic or Laboratory Referrals
Fee Splitting: Drug Prescription Rebates
Fee Splitting: Purchase of Medical Practice on a Percentage Basis
Interest Charges and Finance Charges
Fetal Research
Fireworks
Foods and Nutrition
Fluoridation of Municipal Water Supplies
Genetics
Genetic Counseling Information for Physicians
Guaranteed Basic Income
Guns and Weapons
Background Checks and Waiting Periods
Development of Firearm Safety Policies
Extreme Risk Protection Orders
National Bureau for Firearm Injury Prevention
Reducing Firearm-Related Injury and Death, 2019 Updates
Reducing Gun Harm by Requiring Gun Owners to Obtain and Maintain Liability Insurance
Violence Prevention Education in Schools
Weapons-free Zone for Health Care Facilities
Health Care
Allocation of Limited Resources
Improving Health Care Experiences for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Patients
Incentivizing Quality Patient Outcomes by the Washington Health Care Authority
Supporting the Rights of Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Patients
Health Care Workforce
Health Plan Activities/Policies
Conversion to For-profit Status
Fee Schedules in Capitation Provider Contracts
Term and Termination in Provider Contracts
Home Health Care
Hospitals
Billing for Housestaff Services
“Corporate Practice of Medicine” Doctrine
Health Facility Ownership by Physician
Non-Competition Clauses in Employment Contracts
Physician Non-Compete Laws and Improvements
Protections for Whistleblowers
Immunizations
Hemophilus Influenza Type B Immunization
Improving Input and Access to Washington State Immunization Information System (WSIIS)
Mandatory Health Care Worker Vaccination
Mandatory Long-Term Care Worker Vaccination
Opt-In Vaccinations for Mature Minors in Washington State
Vaccine Exemptions for Personal Reasons
Impaired Physicians
Physician Wellness and Impairment
Informed Consent
Insurance
Standardized Remittance Advice
Labor and Industries
Independent Medical Examinations
Legislation
Washington Physicians Health Program
Liability
Liability Reform Positions
Managed Care
Maternal and Infant Health Care - Prenatal, Postnatal, And Infant Care
Diaper Product Access and Retail Tax Exemption
Ensuring Access to Maternal Blood Pressure Monitoring
Maternal Mortality and Race in Washington State
Pregnancy As a Qualifying Event
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Use of Eat, Sleep, Console as Treatment for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
Use of Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder During Pregnancy
Medicaid
Medical Boards
Physician Assistant on Board of Medical Examiners
Medical Directors
Medical Ethics
Medical Students
Mentoring Support for Unmatched Medical Graduates
Return-To-Service Loan Repayment
Medicare
Anti-Emetic Reimbursement in Conjunction with Chemotherapy
Men’s Health
Mental Health Care
Electroconvulsive Therapy in Washington State
Involuntary Administration of Drugs
Non-Scientific Practitioners
Nursing
Optometry
Organs
Allocation of Organs and Other Scarce Medical Resources
Patient
Peer Review
Included in Practice of Medicine Definition
Peer Review, WSMA Principles of
Physician Assistants
Physicians
Coercion of Physicians/Surgeons by Internet or Telephonic Threats
Sale of Health-Related Goods from Physicians’ Offices
Sale of Non-Health Related Goods from Physicians’ Offices
Physician Advertising and Publicity
Guidelines Regarding Physician Advertising and Publicity
Physician Health Plan Participation
Physician-Health Plan Relations
Physician Practice
Definition of “Primary Care Physician”
Definition of “Non-physician Primary Care Provider”
Doctor/Physician, Use of the Term
Physician Assistant Title Change
Refer to All Medical Professionals by Their Titles
Support for Innovative Models of Primary Care Practices
Physician Profiling
Principles on Physician Profiling
Physician Records
Availability to Other Physicians
Body Mass Index (BMI), Inclusion of
Health Services Information System
Records of Physicians on Retirement
Records on Termination of a Partnership
Physician Rights and Responsibilities
Civil Rights and Responsibilities
Conflict of Interest - Physician Self-Referral
Expert Witness Testimony - Revelation of Financial Arrangements
Patent for Surgical or Diagnostic Instrument
Patient Access to Safe and Legal Information
Physician-Patient Relationship, Sanctity of
Refusal to Serve a Class of Patients
Surgical Procedures Donated for Charity Auction
Utilization and Cost, Policies Related to
Political Action
Political Action, WSMA Commitment to
Prescribing Practices
Conscientious Refusal to Fill a Legal Prescription
Denial of Prescribed Pharmaceuticals
Prescribing Practices - General
Prescription Drugs
Direct-to-Consumer Marketing of Pharmaceuticals
Prisons
Allowing Peritoneal Dialysis Amongst Patients in the Washington State DOC
Public Health
Advocating for Heat Exposure Protections for Outdoor Workers
Coal Exports and Oil Transport and Storage in Washington State, Opposition to
Creating a Washington State Viral Hepatitis Elimination Plan
Cybersecurity Techniques Against the Threat of Medical Misinformation
Harmful Chemicals in Consumer Products
Homelessness as a Public Health Priority
Improving Access to Active Transportation
Increasing Access to Menstrual Hygiene Products
Promotion of Building Electrification to Improve Human Health
Public Health Nurse Dispensing
Reproductive Health Care
Digital Repository for Sterilization and Hysterectomy
Resolutions
Resolutions Separate from Reports
Status of Submitted Resolutions
Retired Physicians
Rural Health Care
Maintenance Of Surgical Training Programs For Rural Obstetrics Providers
Washington Rural Health Association
Scope of Practice
Manual and Manipulative Procedures
Neuromuscular Electrodiagnostic Medicine Consultation
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDS)
Improving Sexual Health in Washington State
Patient-Delivered Partner Therapy
Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Control
Specialists
Transparency in Specialist Consults
Sports
Surgery/Invasive Procedures
Tax Reform
Washington State Child Tax Credit
Television
Tobacco
Combustible Cigarettes, Elimination of
Veterans Medical Care
Veterans Administration Health Care Program