Legislative Summit
With the 2023 Washington state legislative session well underway, the 2023
WSMA Legislative Summit will return to the state Capitol on Feb. 3, 2023,
for this important physician and patient advocacy event. Register now. The Legislative Summit is free for WSMA members.
Reps. Marcus Riccelli, Joe Schmick to Keynote 2023 WSMA Legislative Summit
This year, we’re excited to be joined by Rep. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane,
who is the new House Health Care and Wellness Committee chair, replacing
former Democratic representative Eileen Cody. Born and raised in Spokane
and a two-time WSMA legislator of the year award winner, Rep. Riccelli has
spent the past six legislative sessions fortifying his commitment to
increasing access to care for patients and supporting the physician
community. A few of his legislative highlights include:
- Audio-only telemedicine (House Bill 1196 from 2021)
-
Generational investments in Foundational Public Health Services (2021)
- Physician Assistant Modernization Act (House Bill 2378 from 2020)
Rep. Riccelli has had a sustained interest in supporting the existing
physician workforce, repeatedly supporting WSMA proposals to increase
Medicaid reimbursement rates (also a top priority for the 2023 session)
and working to help create the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine at
Washington State University. House Health Care & Wellness Committee
Ranking Member Rep. Joe Schmick (R-Colfax) will also participate in this
discussion.
At the Legislative Summit on Feb. 3, you will hear from Reps. Riccelli and
Schmick and our other invited guest speakers who will share their
perspectives on health care in Washington state and the political
skirmishes ahead.
Sen. Karen Keiser leads panel discussion on abortion care in Washington
With Roe v. Wade overturned, a slew of abortion and reproductive care
bills are pending before lawmakers this legislative session. At this
year’s Legislative Summit, we’ll check in on these bills and more during a
robust panel discussion on the state of abortion care in Washington. Our
guest panelists include:
- Senator Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines)
- Nari Heshmati, MD, WSMA president elect and practicing OB-GYN
- Courtney Normand, Planned Parenthood State Director
Overview of WSMA priority session agenda
WSMA’s government affairs staff will walk you through the priority
legislative and budget items the WSMA believes will benefit most from your
support during the state legislative session:
- Across-the-board Medicaid reimbursement rate increases
- Standardizing the prior authorization process
- Ensuring access to abortion and reproductive health care services
- Preventing inappropriate scope-of-practice increases
The 2023 legislative session represents a return to in-person work in
Olympia following two years of virtual session. As we have in the past,
WSMA will seek to schedule personal meetings with your state legislative
delegation, schedules and COVID protocol permitting.
The WSMA Legislative Summit will being at 8 a.m. in the Columbia Room of
the Legislative Building, 416 Sid Snyder Avenue Southwest, Olympia, WA
98504. Lunch will be provided. Don’t miss this chance to share your
perspective with your local legislators and help amplify WSMA’s
legislative priorities—and don’t forget to wear a white coat! The meeting
is free for WSMA members.
Register today.
This event provides a unique opportunity to make your voice heard by the
people who are deliberating on the policies that impact the practice of
medicine in Washington!