Health Care
WPC's Center for Health Care develops patient-centered solutions to reduce costs and improve the availability and quality of health care for businesses and individuals, providing the only detailed, independent critique of health care issues available in the Northwest.
Press Releases
WPC Opens New Center for Health Care Reform with Hiring of Director
Seattle - Washington Policy Center, Washington's premier free-market public policy research and education organization welcomes Tanya Karwaki as the new Center for Health Care Reform Director. This marks WPC's fourth research center, following the openings of the Center for Environmental Policy, WashingtonVotes.org, and the Center for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. The Center for Health Care Reform will be formally announced at our June 6th Health Care Conference, "Moving Health Care Forward: Tools and Techniques for a Healthier Washington."
Prescription Drug Labeling Rule will be simpler to understand and still keep safeguards intact for patients
Seattle - Washington Policy Center today applauded this week's announcement by the Food and Drug Administration to make prescription drug labels easier for patients to understand. This new labeling will ensure that important information such as a drug's uses, correct dosage, and warnings of side effects and drug interactions will be easier for a patient to read and find on the prescription.
New Study Highlights the Failure of Washington's Medical Certificate of Need Program
Seattle - Washington's Certificate of Need law should be repealed is the conclusion of Washington Policy Center's new study released today, "The Failure of Government Central Planning: Washington's Medical Certificate of Need Program." John Barnes, the study's author and policy analyst at Washington Policy Center, takes a critical look at Washington's Certificate of Need (CON) Program and other CON programs around the country in this comprehensive new study.
Doctors vs. Lawyers
Seattle - Washington Policy Center, the state's premier public policy organization, today released a new study, Overview of Initiatives 330 and 336: Proposals to Reform Washington's Medical Liability Law. Paul Guppy, Vice President for Research at the center, presents research on the implications of Initiatives 330 and 336 in this policy brief. Both initiatives, appearing on the ballot this November, make competing proposals for reforming Washington's medical liability law.
Health Care Conference Features First Major Medical Malpractice Initiatives Debate
Washington Policy Center, the state's premier public policy research and education organization, is sponsoring Health Care 2005: Empowering Patients, Controlling Costs, a half-day conference tomorrow, Thursday, June 16th from 7:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the Seattle Red Lion Hotel on Fifth Avenue.
New Publication Will Help Employers Determine if Health Savings Accounts Work for Their Employees
Washington Policy Center, the state's premier public policy research and education organization, published a new pocketbook guide for employers who want to know more about Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).
New Medical Liability Reform Study Released at Press Conference
Spokane - On Thursday, April 7th, Washington Policy Center and the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce released a joint study in Spokane on medical liability reform. Rising medical liability insurance rates for doctors and other health care professionals have prompted the American Medical Association to label Washington a state in "medical liability crisis."
New Developments Highlight Problems with Drug Importation Plans
Two new developments over the past couple of months raise new red flags over drug importation plans and should be taken into account as the debate over this issue heats up in Olympia.
First, the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued the "Report on Prescription Drug Importation" in December that widely criticizes any plans for legalizing drug importation from Canada. Saying "safety should never be compromised," the HHS report reached the following conclusions:
Sold-out Health Care Conference Highlights Effective Alternatives
A sold-out crowd of over 250 people today listened to local and national experts discuss a range of health care issues including the 2003 Medicare Bill, Health Savings Accounts, prescription drugs and drug re-importation, and medical malpractice and tort reform at Washington Policy Center's Health Care 2004: Opportunities for Reform and Innovation.
National Medicaid Expert to Brief in Olympia Next Wednesday
As a part of the Health Care 2004: Opportunities for Reform and Innovation Conference, Washington Policy Center will host a briefing by Jim Frogue, national expert on Medicaid, in Olympia on the capitol campus.
Jim Frogue is Director of the Health and Human Services for the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in Washington, D.C. and has some innovative ideas to reform the Medicaid system.
