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Subscribe to the Washington State Legislative lists:

               http://apps.leg.wa.gov/subscriptions/ 

Resources for looking up specifics on bills:

     State: Washington State Legislature (http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/) 

     National: Library of Congress (http://thomas.loc.gov/)

Current Legislative Update [Download It]

Washington State Senators

  -Maria Cantwell (D)


  -Patty Murray (D)

Washington State Representatives:

• Inslee, Jay; Washington 1st
• Larsen, Rick; Washington 2nd
• Baird, Brian; Washington 3rd
• Hastings, Doc; Washington, 4th
• McMorris, Cathy; Washington, 5th
• Dicks, Norman D.; Washington, 6th
• McDermott, Jim; Washington, 7th
• Reichert, David G.; Washington, 8th

 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder/congress.aspx

Recent National Health Politics:

Stem Cell Research:

House passes Stem Cell bill - January 11, 2007

Title of Bill: Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007
Assigned Number: HR-3
Library of Congress Link: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.00003:

In brief: The bill would expand federally funding for research on human embryos.
Other pertinent information:  The White House stated that they would veto the act.  President Bush vetoed Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 (HR-810).  The act was passed 253 to 174.  If the act had been passed with 290 votes, a presidential veto would have been overridden.

Related Bills: HR-810, Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005

American Health Line. “Stem cells: House passes bill; white house makes veto threat.”  January 12, 2007. 

http://www.americanhealthline.com/article.aspx?s=38521

National Town Hall Meeting on Children’s Health Coverage
January 11, 2007
http://www.childrenshealthcampaign.org/news/releases/national-town-hall.html

Prescription Drug Coverage

Title of Bill: Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007
Assigned Number: HR-4
Library of Congress Link: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.00004:

In brief:  The Social Security Act would be amended so that the Secretary of Health and Human Services would be required to negotiate part D drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries.  The section that explicitly states that the Secretary of Human Services would not be allowed to establish a formulary (a list of preferred drugs) would not be amended.  The amendment refers to the previous provision allowing for private negotiations of drug care prices as was established in the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. 

Health Coverage Coalition for the Uninsured: A Coalition of 16 Organizations Proposes SCHIP, Medicaid Expansion

Organizations in Coalition: U.S. Chamber of Commerce, America's Health Insurance Plans, the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, the Catholic Health Association, AARP, the United Health Foundation, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Kaiser Permanente and Pfizer. Other members include the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Public Health Association, Families USA, the Federation of American Hospitals, the Healthcare Leadership Council and Johnson & Johnson, United Health Foundation

Proposal: A plan to provide coverage for the 47 million uninsured.  The first step would be to try to insure all children by increasing funding to SCHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program) programs.  The group envisions that the program would be federally funded.  The next step in the proposal would be to provide insurance to all adults at or below federal poverty level eligible for Medicaid.

Legislation Proposed in Congress to provide Grants to States to Try Out Health Care Reforms

Recent State Health Politics:

     State: Washington State Legislature (http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/) 

Recently in Court:

Supreme Court
Washington, D.C., January 10, 2007 - The U.S. Supreme Court this week declined to review the lawsuit, Paul Jung, M.D. et al v. Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), et al. The antitrust lawsuit was filed by three former resident physicians against the National Resident Matching Program, its five sponsors, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and 29 teaching hospitals in May 2002. The U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed the antitrust claims with decisions in August 2004 and January 2005 and the Court of Appeals affirmed those rulings in June 2006.

AAMC Responds to Resident Lawsuit
http://www.aamc.org/newsroom/jungcomplaint/start.htm