Community Choice is a Leader in Affecting Healthcare Policy via Grassroots Collaboration & Advocacy


Community Choice is one of many Community Collaboratives in the state of Washington working together to improve access to healthcare and support the state's goal of becoming the Healthiest State of the Nation.

Community Choice is a member of the statewide association of collaboratives Communities Connect www.wacommunitiesconnect.org. The legislative priorities collectively established by its membership are:


2009 Legislative Priorities

1.  Continued state funding for the successful Community Health Care Collaborative Grant program of $4 million for the biennium.

 2.  Introduce legislation that amends statute to remove the sunset language for the Community Health Care Collaborative Grant program and supports the development of a public/private statewide entity to coordinate technical assistance and outcome measurement among regional community healthcare collaboratives.

  In addition Communities Connect supports:

1.  Maximize federal SCHIP funds (use the full federal allocation for outreach)

2.  Maintain state funding for the following:

a.  Medicaid eligibility at 300% FPL

b.  Covering all Kids outreach and linkage to care at  $4.4 million for the biennium

c.  Patient Navigator program

d.  Health Insurance Partnership

 

3.  Stabilize public health funding for core infrastructure

4.  Fully fund

a.  Children’s Health Law (SB 5093)

b.  Medical Home (HB 2549)

c.  Emergency Department Diversion pilots (SB 5093)

 

 

The Vision ~ of Communities Connect:  Sustainable Community Healthcare Collaboratives Statewide

Communities Connect has a vision where Washington State has six regional health coalitions (called “community healthcare collaboratives”) operating statewide to serve as public/private “implementers” of government health policy initiatives to improve access and quality and reduce costs. These six Community Healthcare Collaboratives will have:

1.  Consistent governance and operational characteristics,

2.  Internal capacity to deliver return on community investments,

3.  Operational relationships with the local provider community, and

4.  Leaders in action with their organization’s resources to achieve better health for everyone at less cost.