The Whatcom Alliance for Healthcare Access is a nonpartisan group committed to progress on health policy issues that achieve improved health care access for all residents of Whatcom County. We work locally and advocate at the regional, state and federal levels for sound health care policies. Our work is guided by the following principles:
- Assure coverage and care for all people at all times regardless of age, employment status, economic circumstances and pre-existing conditions
- Improve patient outcomes and reduce waste through improved care coordination, and a focus on primary care and preventive care
- Assure consumer choice of providers and public and private plans
- Simplify the system, including insurance administration, so that it is user friendly to consumers, understandable and transparent
- Control costs and improve quality of care by reforming the payment system so it rewards results and not activities and holds providers accountable for outcomes not procedures
Our goal is to educate and advise elected officials on health policy concerns while serving as a community based resource on the effects of specific legislative proposals through:
- Legislative briefings
- Development of comprehensive policy papers
- Provision of informational materials
- Responsiveness to questions that arise in the legislative process
- Where appropriate, public testimony