Yesterday, legislators on the Joint Select Committee on Health Care Oversight traveled to Harborview Medical Center to participate in their final work session prior to the start of the 2020 legislative session. They received updates on the implementation of Cascade Care and transition of the All-Payer Claims Database, as well as an overview of the EMS and Trauma Care System Assessment.
The committee consists of members from the House of Representatives and Senate, and is co-chaired by Sen. Annette Cleveland and Rep. Eileen Cody. It was established in 2013 to provide oversight for the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, Department of Health, Department of Social and Health Services, Health Care Authority, and Health Benefit Exchange. The committee monitors each agency’s activities to ensure they are not duplicating efforts and are working towards increased quality of service in order to reduce costs to health care consumers.
After the work session, the legislators took the opportunity to tour Harborview’s inpatient behavioral health and psych unit, the emergency department, and International Medicine Clinic. They were also able to observe Harborview’s Project ECHO telemedicine service.
