The Washington state Legislature has directed the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, in consultation with the Health Care Authority, to convene a work group to design the parameters of a palliative care benefit and payment model for fully insured health plans. The work group must submit a report to the Legislature detailing its work and any recommendations by November 1, 2025. The work group must consider the following elements of a palliative care benefit:
- Clinical eligibility criteria;
- The services included in a palliative care benefit;
- Appropriate staffing, including staffing models and provider training;
- Evaluation criteria and reporting requirements; and
- Payment models.
Work group meetings
Work group meeting agenda
Work group members
| Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Nico Janssen | Office of the Insurance Commissioner |
| Heather Schultz | Health Care Authority |
| Peter Graham | Department of Social and Health Services |
| Mandy Latchaw | Department of Health |
| Christine Gibert | Health Benefit Exchange |
| Barb Hansen | Washington State Hospice & Palliative Care Organization |
| Shelby Moore | Heartlinks Hospice and Palliative Care |
| Marsha Flowers | Horizon Hospice and Palliative Care |
| Gregg VandeKieft | Providence St. Peter Hospital |
| C. Maura deOiveira | EvergreenHealth Hospice |
| James Fausto | UW Medicine for Washington State Hospital Association |
| Ryan Larson | Harbor Home Health and Hospice for Home Care Association of Washington |
| Lyle Dollarhide | PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center for Washington State Nurses Association |
| Carrie Parks | Kaiser Permanente for Association of Washington Health Care Plans |
| Jennifer Curry | Regence BlueShield |
| Chris Rakunas | Wellpoint |
| Drew Oliveria | Washington Health Alliance |
| Nico Janssen; Jane Beyer; Sharon Daniel | Project Team, Office of the Insurance Commissioner |