Published by DSHS July 10, 2015
Washington will seek approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to implement a demonstration project—through a Section 1115 waiver authority—that engages and supports Apple Health (Medicaid) clients, providers, and communities in achieving improved health, better care, and lower costs (the triple aim).
This component of Healthier Washington will provide flexibility to fund nontraditional services for targeted populations and use federal savings to finance qualified health transformation projects and accelerate change across systems. (For more details, see the concept paper on the Healthier Washington website.)
A draft waiver application will be posted on the Healthier Washington website in late July.
Your feedback and comments inform our work
Before submitting the application to our federal partners, we want to know what you think. In August, we will be holding a series of public meetings across Washington (see schedule below).
Monday, Aug. 3
8 – 10 a.m. Pierce College-Ft. Steilacoom, Lakewood
1 – 3 p.m. Everett Community College, Everett
Tuesday, Aug. 4
8 – 10 a.m. Yakima Valley Community College, Yakima
2 – 4 p.m. Columbia Basin College, Pasco
Wednesday, Aug. 5
10 a.m. – noon Spokane Regional Health District, Spokane
Planning to attend a forum? Let us know.
We will send additional information about these meetings, including directions, later this month.
For those who are unable to attend these forums, we will have an August webinar, along with other methods for submitting comments. In addition, there will be a tribal consultation at the Health Care Authority on Wednesday, Aug. 12.
Submission of the waiver application to CMS marks the beginning, not the end, of an extensive process toward approval and implementation of the demonstration project. We look forward to continued conversations with you as the process gets under way.
