News You Can Use
June 18, 2021
 This is a publication to keep you informed of issues and events pertaining to the osteopathic profession in Washington State. We invite you to submit topics or articles of interest to your colleagues for consideration. Submissions may be emailed to executivedirector@woma.org
As WOMA pivots to provide quality CME to our members during these unusual times we are excited to announce our first of three virtual Simply CME Events. The first Simply Saturday CME Conference will take place on Saturday, August 21. These one-day virtual conferences are a partnership between the following state osteopathic associations: WOMA, OPSO, IOMA, MAOPS, MOA, and OOA. Although they will be smaller 8-hour events, they will be national conferences with speakers and registrants from all over the country. The registration for the conference will be open for 30 days after the “live” event, and then all attendees will have 45 days from the “live” event to complete the CME on-demand at their convenience. We encourage you to take advantage of these virtual CME offerings as we work towards the time we can all be together again for in-person conferences. Stay tuned for more information to come on this first Simply Saturday and future CME offerings.
Apple Health Provider Rate Increases

In her end-of-session message, HCA Director Sue Birch shared that the 2021-23 state operating budget includes significant investments in Apple Health (Medicaid) provider rates to support the goal of a whole-person, equitable health care delivery system. 

Governor Jay Inslee signed the budget on May 18.

In addition to our state budget, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) passed by Congress in late March has significant financial implications for Apple Health.

We are working on both rate and ARPA impacts now with our federal partners.

Change effective beginning October for Apple Health (Medicaid) managed care
Because HCA must wait for federal approvals and because many of the rate changes included in the budget are effective beginning October 2021, HCA plans to apply an October managed care rate update.
This means that added funding will likely flow beginning October, and providers should expect retrospective rate increases (some sort of settlement) afterward for those rate increases that the Legislature made effective prior to October. 
The specific rate increase that an individual provider will receive will depend on multiple factors, such as federal approvals and the type of contract providers have with Medicaid-managed care plans. As HCA learns more details, our team will provide more details and work closely with providers and the Medicaid-managed care plans between now and October.

Primary care
  • $123M for the 21-23 fiscal years to increase access to care for adults, children, and babies (like the previous Affordable Care Act primary care rate enhancement) (effective October)
Behavioral health
  • $17M (for the 2021-23 fiscal years) to increase specific low-level codes (effective October)
  • $55M (for the 2021-23 fiscal years) for a 2 percent increase for all managed care services. (retro to April 2021; HCA must work with our federal partners to determine method for funds flow, but we hope to have that ready prior to October)
  • $31M (one-time grant funding) for COVID-19 provider relief funding (non-managed care; effective July, but the grant program may take longer to implement and distribute funds)
  • View details on other key behavioral health investments in the 2021-23 budget, including provider increases.
Dental
  • $76M (for the 2021-23 fiscal years, and ongoing) to increase access to care (non-managed care; effective July)
Family planning
  • $16M (for the 2021-23 fiscal years, and ongoing) increases rates to Title X clinics (effective October)
Tribal health
  • SUD ($15.7M, up to cost-based rate), Health homes ($1.6M), and PCCM ($258K) (all for the 2021-23 fiscal years, and ongoing)
Additional investments
  • Non-emergency medical transportation, sole community hospital, mobile crisis, home health
 Upcoming Sunrise Review Proposals -
Accepting Public Comments


Sunrise Review of Proposal to Create Anesthesiologist Assistant License - Accepting Public Comments.

The DOH is reviewing a proposal to create a license for anesthesiologist assistants in Washington state and provide recommendations to the legislature.
 
This request was made by the Washington State House Health Care and Wellness Committee and the applicant group for the proposal is the Washington State Society of Anesthesiologists.
 
The department is required to evaluate proposals to regulate new health professions using the criteria in RCW 18.120.010. The DOH is inviting public comments on whether the proposal meets the criteria and adequately protects the public. Your input will be considered as they develop recommendations.

Please visit their Anesthesiologist Assistant Sunrise Web page to find:
·      The request from the legislature and draft bill, and
·      Applicant report submitted by the applicant group explaining the factors required in RCW 18.120.030
 
Visit the DOH health profession sunrise web page for information on the sunrise review process and statutory criteria the department is required to consider in assessing this proposal.
 
Please submit your comments to anesthesiology-sunrise@doh.wa.gov by July 16, 2021 at midnight. Please direct any questions to this email address as well.
 
After the public comment period, the department will consider all comments and draft the report with recommendations. They will share this draft report with interested parties later this year and invite public comments on the draft before finalizing our recommendations to the legislature.
 
If you wish to receive updates and participate in this process, please click here, under “Health Professions” scroll down, and select the list “Anesthesiologist Sunrise.”
 
Sunrise Review of Proposal to Increase Midwifery Scope of Practice - Accepting Public Comments

The DOH is reviewing a proposal to increase the midwifery scope of practice to assess whether it is in the public interest and provide recommendations to the legislature. Specifically, the proposal would add “limited prescription authority for contraception and medications and therapies for various common conditions in pregnancy and postpartum, for those with appropriate training.”
 
This request was made by the Washington State House Health Care and Wellness Committee and the applicant group for the proposal is the Midwifery Association of Washington.
 
The department is required to evaluate proposals to increase a profession’s scope of practice using the criteria in RCW 18.120.010. The DOH is inviting public comments on whether the proposal meets the criteria and adequately protects the public. Your input will be considered as they develop recommendations. Please visit their Midwifery Scope of Practice Sunrise webpage to find:
·      The request from the legislature and draft bill
·      Applicant report submitted by the applicant group explaining the factors required in RCW 18.120.030
 
Please submit your comments to mwsunrise@doh.wa.gov by July 16, 2021 at midnight. Please direct any questions to this email address as well.
 
Visit the DOH health profession sunrise web page for information on the sunrise review process and statutory criteria the department is required to consider in assessing this proposal
 
After the public comment period, the department will consider all comments and draft the report with recommendations. They will share this draft report with interested parties later this year and invite public comments on the draft before finalizing our recommendations to the legislature.
 
If you wish to receive updates and participate in this process, please click here, under “Health Professions” scroll down and select the list “Midwife Scope Sunrise.”

Sunrise Review of Proposal regarding Optometrist scope of practice- Accepting Public Comments
DOH is reviewing a proposal to increase the optometrist scope of practice to assess whether it is in the public interest and provide recommendations to the legislature. The proposed changes include expanding the medications optometrists prescribe and therapeutic procedures they perform consistent with national standards.
This request was made by the Washington State Senate Health Care Committee and the applicant group for the proposal is the Optometric Physicians of Washington.

Please visit our Optometrist Scope Sunrise Web page to find the request from the legislature, draft bill, and applicant report.

Please submit your comments to optom-sunrise@doh.wa.gov no later than July 16, 2021, at midnight. Please direct any questions to this email address as well.

If you wish to receive updates and participate in this process, please click here, under “Health Professions” scroll down to the bottom of this topic and select the list “Optometrist Scope 
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