WHCA Capitol Update

Carma Matti-Jackson, CEO | December 14, 2022

Today Governor Inslee released his proposal for the 2023-25 two-year operating budget. This is the first of three budget proposals that will ultimately be considered by the Legislature. The House and Senate will also release proposals that will be considered before final adoption of the budget that will impact provider Medicaid rates from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2025. While the Governor’s budget is a start, it will not be the primary driver of legislative budget priorities. There is much work to be done by the Legislature, and by advocacy organizations like ours between now and the adoption of a final budget sometime in Spring 2023.

The budget process in our state starts with budget requests, also known as “decision packages,” submitted by each agency. The DSHS budget proposal requested a general-fund state allocation of $121 million for assisted living, $143 million for skilled nursing, and $7.8 million for enhanced services facilities. The Governor proposes a general-fund state investment of $95 million for assisted living, $105 million for skilled nursing, and $7.8 million for enhanced services facilities. Here is a comparison of the proposals:

While this is a quick overview of the Governor’s budget for long term care Medicaid rates, we are also reviewing funding for measures related to the long term care workforce and other areas impacting our members. We will provide a more comprehensive review in the coming days.

Where do we go from here?

We are thankful that the Governor’s proposal recognizes the importance of long term care services to our low-income elderly with Medicaid rates that go a long way toward keeping these individuals safely housed and in an environment that includes daily personal care and wrap around essential services. The Governor’s proposal also makes good strides to recognize our dedicated labor force which requires and deserves competitive wages that keep up with the cost of living. Our work continues from here, by educating the Legislature about additional steps necessary to help support vulnerable people and their families—and the workforce that shows up every day to provide that important care. This is where we will be relying on you.

While we can focus on budget numbers and shortfalls, it isn’t as impactful as your direct testimony to your own local legislators about how important adequate funding is and how it impacts the people they represent. Your voice brings life to the Legislature around our funding challenges by directly connecting them to the people who are so deeply impacted by what we do and how hard we work to provide care. Your stories are powerful, they are important, and they affect change.

Please take a moment to complete this Legislative Advocacy Survey. We want to know and understand how we can engage you with your legislators this session. I cannot overemphasize the importance of this work—we must keep our outreach to legislators focused and strong from January through the final adoption of the state operating budget in late April. We understand that your daily work doesn’t leave you a lot of time to manage legislative relationships. I want to personally assure you that our team is committed to directly supporting you in this work.

Finally, I am honored to represent you in Olympia. While I had the opportunity to support our members as a consultant for the past 6+ years, I am even more committed to this work as WHCA CEO. Please know that I welcome and value your feedback. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.