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2025 Banner

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I’m working hard to deliver results for our communities in the 48th Legislative District! Thank you to everyone who completed the survey we shared in our last newsletter. We appreciate you sharing your concerns with our office! Stay tuned for more information on the results from the survey and policy updates.

This session, I have prioritized legislation that helps our state protect our environment, safeguard reproductive freedoms, expand health care, invest in affordable housing, increase workforce development and education opportunities, and more.

As a medical professional and member of the Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee, health care is one of my top priorities. It is an area that touches everyone’s lives in some way.

That’s why I’ve sponsored multiple bills and am supporting many more focusing on expanding access to high-quality, affordable care and addressing our workforce shortages in critical health care roles such rural nursing, agency-affiliated counselors, school psychology interns, and more.

Friday, February 21st was the first major deadline of this year’s 105-day legislative session — policy cut off. This means policy bills not voted out of committee by Friday of last week are now done for the year. I wanted to give you an update on bills I’ve sponsored or supported this session related to health care.

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*Supporting hospitals:*

We know hospitals are closing around our state or are merging with other hospitals because they are struggling financially. This in turn impacts the care available to patients.


* Earlier this month, my first bill was passed off the Senate floor — SB 5239 [ [link removed] ]. This bill changes the retention period for medical records. This is costing UW Medicine $750,000 annually alone to store decades-old medical records. This bill will help hospitals significantly cut down on storage costs and allow those dollars to be directed toward patient care.
* SB 5683 [ [link removed] ] — helps us understand the insurance payment procedures. One contributing factor to the financial struggles’ hospitals are facing are delayed payments from health insurance carriers, health plans, and managed care organizations. It’s important we learn more about how hospitals are receiving payments from insurance carriers so we can better understand how we can help them stay afloat.

*Addressing health care workforce shortages: *

I’m focused on addressing our workforce shortages in critical health care roles.


* SB 5765 [ [link removed] ] — allows board-certified psychiatric pharmacists to be licensed as agency-affiliated counselors.
* SB 5335 [ [link removed] ] — establishes the Rural Nursing Education Program, which will grow the rural nursing workforce and have lasting impacts on the health of underserved communities for years to come.
* SB 5666 [ [link removed] ] — establishes a grant program to attract and pay full-time school psychology interns. This bill addresses the shortage of school psychologists in the state which impacts the school’s ability to provide essential services to students, and their families. This grant program will help us grow this critical workforce, which is needed more than ever.

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*Protecting reproductive rights:*

I will continue to fight to protect reproductive health care as threats to these freedoms persist. That’s why I’ve co-sponsored two bills to protect reproductive freedom.


* SB 5498 [ [link removed] ] — amends existing laws regarding contraceptive coverage to make obtaining contraceptives more efficient and accessible. This will ensure people can make fewer unnecessary trips to the doctor and have continued access to contraceptives, even when they get a new job, switch insurance, or change birth control methods.
* SB 5321 [ [link removed] ] — requires institutions with student health centers to offer medication abortion services. This bill addresses a major gap in reproductive health care services and helps ensure busy college students don’t have to travel off campus to receive the care they need.

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*Medical Debt and Billing:*

We all deserve to live healthy lives and that’s why it’s critical we work to make health care accessible and affordable. I’m proud to support two important bills from my colleagues in the Senate that do just that.


* SB 5083 [ [link removed] ] — helps rein in unpredictable and expensive hospital bills by capping reimbursement rates for hospital services our public and school employees receive. This bill increases funding for primary care and behavioral health care, which are critical to keeping people healthy.
* SB 5480 [ [link removed] ] — ensures medical debt can’t be reported to credit bureaus until families have had a chance to address it. Unfair medical debt collection practices remain a huge challenge for many working families in our state. No one should be burdened with medical debt when they’re just trying to live healthy lives.

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*Navigating Medicare:  *

Medicare can be complicated and stressful. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC)’s Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) Program helps people navigate Medicare through free, unbiased and confidential outreach and education. Medicare Advantage enrollees have challenges with claim denials, prior authorization practices, and accessing in-network hospitals and doctors.

I’m sponsoring a budget proviso which will provide more resources to SHIBA, so navigating Medicare and Medicare Advantage is less complicated and stressful. These resources would help SHIBA’s volunteers, community partners, and program staff better meet the needs of Medicare enrollees.

Looking for more information on Medicare or hoping to contact SHIBA? Here are some helpful resources!


* Go to [link removed]
* Call 1-800-562-6900
* Find a local SHIBA office: [link removed]

Stay tuned for more legislative and policy updates from our office in the coming weeks on various issue areas, such as the environment, technology, higher education, workforce development, and more.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve the 48th Legislative District.

Sincerely,

Sen. Vandana Slatter

 




 

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*Sen. Vandana Slatter*
"State Senator, 48""th Legislative District"

*Email
*[email protected]

*Website*
[link removed]

*Find me on Facebook*
[link removed]

*Phone*
360.786.7694
1.800.562.6000 (Toll free)
1.800.833.6388 (TTY)

*Olympia Office*

213 John A. Cherberg Building, PO Box 40448, Olympia, WA 98504

 

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