Mergers of health care providers, both hospitals and clinical practices, have led to more than half of Washington’s population having no provider other than faith-based health care organizations. These organizations do not necessarily continue to support needed services nor affordable rates. The effects are often that people have no service that they need or have to travel to get it.
This bill would provide health care consumer protection by requiring State Attorney Genereal oversight to ensure health entity consolidations do not negatively impact access to care services; a health equity assessment to assure that marginalized communities are not negatively impacted; and community input. Get more information here: aclu-wa.org/KOCA.
⚠️Please contact Sen. Manka Dhingra chair, or Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, vice-chair, to ask them to schedule SB 5688 for executive action in Senate Law & Justice Committee before the February 3 cut-off.