Charity care lawsuit against Yakima Regional

Posted on October 3, 2016 by mollyrosbach

Yakima Regional Medical and Cardiac Center was sued in 2013 over its charity care practices. In the intervening years, lawyers for the plaintiffs have presented evidence alleging that the hospital (along with Toppenish Community Hospital, both now owned by Community Health Systems) deliberately sought to turn poor people away from its doors and made no effort to provide financial relief for indigent patients.

Billing

–(July 2016) The hits keep coming as the Superior Court judge finds Regional also violated the state Consumer Protection Act through its charity care practices, which means plaintiffs could be eligible for triple damages: http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/judge-finds-regional-toppenish-hospitals-violated-consumer-protection-act-on/article_21459f38-4d0f-11e6-a8b0-67526764c546.html

–(Dec. 2015) In major blow, Superior Court judge confirms that Regional violated the state Charity Care Act in its practices: http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/crime_and_courts/judge-deals-major-blow-to-yakima-regional-hospital-in-charity/article_159814fa-a624-11e5-ad30-ef074744b278.html

–Dramatic documents shared in 2015 reveal that Regional offered rewards for employees who squeezed more money out of indigent patients: http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/documents-reveal-regional-s-past-tough-stance-on-charity-care/article_f1a622fc-6803-11e5-8d5e-f76185909e77.html

–Patients alerted of potential inclusion in class suit: http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/charity-care-lawsuit-against-yakima-valley-hospitals-moving-through-courts/article_d923cf5a-6343-11e5-a1e8-53d3e23e3544.html

–Suit first filed in 2013: http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/lawsuit-claims-yakima-regional-is-neglecting-charity-care/article_01e6dcdb-25ee-5849-ae2c-cdd934e511cb.html

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Opioids in Yakima: Ongoing series

Posted on October 3, 2016 by mollyrosbach

Part 1: Local addiction treatment specialists talk about the potential & hurdles of medication-based treatment for opioid addiction:
http://www.yakimaherald.com/lifestyle/health/opioids-in-yakima-medication-based-treatment-gains-traction/article_dbffe0f2-6ca1-11e6-987c-5f166635db5f.html

OpioidsDocs-YH-092816-1.jpg

Part 2: Yakima doctors discuss difficulty finding balance between adequately treating legitimate pain, and giving patients free access to dangerous narcotics; statewide task force working on better tools:
http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/yakima-doctors-struggle-to-balance-pain-treatment-with-threat-of/article_a9c6e07a-8544-11e6-9303-5f0e0e626a73.html

Part 3: Local medical professors are incorporating safe prescribing lessons and emphasizing strong relationships with patients to minimize potential for opioid abuse: http://www.yakimaherald.com/lifestyle/health/yakima-medical-school-stresses-safety-in-wake-of-opioid-crisis/article_6aaaf084-886e-11e6-886d-f7a5bbf52574.html

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Medical-marijuana bill passes, governor threatens veto

Posted on April 21, 2011 by mollyrosbach

The Senate passed the House-amended version of a bill to regulate and license medical marijuana dispensaries in Washington state, but Gov. Chris Gregoire still isn’t going to sign anything that would put state employees at risk of violating federal law by granting licenses to people growing what the feds still classify as an illegal drug.

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State capital budget hinges on debt-limit amendment

Posted on April 20, 2011 by mollyrosbach

Two senators have introduced a bipartisan constitutional amendment to reduce the state’s debt limit and reduce the portion of the operating budget that goes toward paying off debt service, which is already more than 6 percent. To ensure its passage in the House, they’re currently holding the capital budget hostage, declining to negotiate on it with House Democrat leadership until they approve the amendment.

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Workers seek outside options to end tax breaks

Posted on April 17, 2011 by mollyrosbach

Since Democrat legislators (almost certainly) can’t wrangle the two-thirds majority vote to change tax preferences or cut tax exemptions, labor groups have introduced their own initiatives to direct the resulting tax revenue toward education and social services. Power to the people.

Also in: BusinessWeek

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To ease budget cuts, Dems seeking to end tax breaks

Posted on April 14, 2011 by mollyrosbach

Thank Tim Eyman and the passage of I-1053 last fall for imposing the two-thirds majority vote requirement on any measure to change or raise tax preferences. With I-1053 in place, it will be virtually impossible for Democrats to close tax exemptions and generate revenue for social services and education, which will be hardest hit by the budget cuts. But they’re trying; some of the bills may be introduced as referendums so that the people can decide if they want to end tax loopholes.

Also in: BusinessWeek

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WA lawmakers have less than 2 weeks left

Posted on April 13, 2011 by mollyrosbach

Another Where Things Stand, looking at what measures have lived or died at this second legislative cutoff deadline. For non-budget bills to continue on, they had to be heard in the floor of the house opposite where they started by 5 p.m. Tuesday night.

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State Senate OKs bill tying teacher evaluations to layoffs

Posted on April 12, 2011 by mollyrosbach

Under current statute, when budget cuts necessitate reductions in force (RIFs), it’s the newest-hired teachers who get cut loose. Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Medina, amended a broad education reform bill to propose that teachers who score lowest on performance evaluations be first in line for layoffs instead.

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Wash. bill regulating medical marijuana advances

Posted on April 11, 2011 by mollyrosbach

Washington voters made medical marijuana legal in the state in 1998, but because federal law still finds marijuana for any use to be illegal, the methods by which patients accessed the drug have existed in a legal gray area for the past decade or so. This bill seeks to regulate and license medical marijuana dispensaries, as well as provide some arrest protection for prescribing doctors and their patients.

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Higher ed takes a beating in upcoming budget

Posted on April 10, 2011 by mollyrosbach

Weekender: Higher education has come out the loser in the past few budget cycles, with state universities and colleges losing about half of their state support since the beginning of the 2009-2011 biennium if the current budget proposals pass. This means higher tuition for students, fewer support services, and more out-of-state students to collect greater tuition revenue than in-state students provide. Bottom line: Get out fast.

Also in: BusinessWeek

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