2019 Day in Olympia
WSRS members visit legislators & express their concerns on healthcare legislation
On January 23, 2019, members of WSRS from around the state traveled to Olympia to advocate for policy that assures healthcare access and safety for members of the public. The delegation included residents and fellows from the radiology and radiation oncology training programs at the University of Washington, along with residents from Virginia Mason. While the majority of the participants were from the Seattle area, we also had participation by radiologists from Tacoma, Gig Harbor.
The participants met with their state representatives and senators and had a group meeting with WSMA’s lead lobbyists Katie Kolan and Sean Graham to hear an overview of how health care fared during session and about the new legislation impacting physicians and the practice of medicine in Washington state. If you would like to participate in the WSRS 2020 Legislative Day, please contact WSRS Executive Director at admin@wsrs.org for more information on how to sign up and be involved.
Balance Billing: HB 1065 / SB 5031
This is a hot-button issue for the general public and legislators. When a patient visits an in-network hospital, often for an emergency, they may receive services for physicians that work at the hospital, but are not covered by the same network. These physicians charge the patient separately, and the cost is not met by the patient’s insurance. The bill originated with the Office of the Insurance Commissioner and aims to remove patients from the situation, leaving providers and insurance companies to come to terms on reimbursement. The bill as written will create an arbitration process for providers and healthcare networks. With proposed amendments, the bill may help providers and networks avoid unnecessary costs and come to an agreement on reimbursement. Legislators were receptive to our comments on this bill, and amendments that would help arbitrators reach an equitable compromise have been proposed in the Senate.
Wrongful Death HB 1135 / SB 5163
Background: In brief this legislation resulted from the 2015 “Ride the Ducks” accident on Aurora Bridge that killed 4 people and injured many more. There were issues with obtaining reasonable compensation for those who died or were injured in the accident. The bill as written may have unintended consequences that impact physician malpractice in our state. We approached legislators with the points listed below:
WSRS opposes the joint severable liability provisions and recommended that it be removed. The language would hold a party responsible for making a plaintiff economically whole for damages even if the party is found only partially liable for the wrongful death. This bill is an incentive for predatory litigation, expands liability and inappropriately increased damages. WSRS opposes the joint severable liability provisions in HB 1135/ SB 5163 and recommend it be removed.
The bill is opposed by many including schools and local governments amongst others, but has strong support from attorney groups which must be countered. There is no indication at this time that the bill will be amended.
The WSRS Executive Committee, and our lobbyist Jim Hedrick will continue our efforts to track relevant legislation that affects patient care and Radiologists.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ruben Krishnananthan, MD, MPH
President, Washington State Radiological Society
2018 Day in Olympia
WSRS members visit legislators & express their concerns on healthcare legislation
On February 1, 2018, members of WSRS from around the state traveled to Olympia to advocate for policy that assures healthcare access and safety for members of the public. The delegation included residents and fellows from the radiology and radiation oncology training programs at the University of Washington, along with residents from Virginia Mason and Madigan Army Medical Center. While the majority of the participants were from the Seattle area, we also had participation by radiologists from Tacoma, Gig Harbor and as far away as Spokane and Prosser. This year for the first time two members of the Radiology Business Managers Association (RBMA) Washington Chapter participated alongside the physicians.
The participants met with their state representatives and senators and had a group meeting with Jason McGill from the governor’s healthcare policy team. Among the topics of discussion with policymakers were bills relating to notification of breast density, insurance coverage for tomosynthesis (3D mammography, and the issue of narrow insurance networks and their affect on patients.




Congressman Derek Kilmer visits with Tacoma radiologists and learns their concerns
On Friday, July 7, 2017, Congressman Derek Kilmer, along with a staff member from his district office, toured the Carol Milgard Breast Center in Tacoma. Dr. Wei-Shin Wang provided a tour of the site and explained the advantages of new technologies such as tomosynthesis breast imaging. Representative Kilmer then spent time talking with radiologists from CMBC and other WSRS members from the Pierce County area. The meeting explored the many economic and policy challenges of delivering high quality healthcare.
WSRS coordinated the meeting at the request of Rep. Kilmer, who had wanted to meet with physicians who practice in the major healthcare systems in his district. WSRS Government Affairs Chair Dr. Phil Lund, along with his colleague Dr. Doug Seiler, were instrumental in helping set up the meeting. Thank you to the staff and radiologists at Carol Milgard Breast Center for their warm hospitality.
If your practice would like to invite a congressional representative or a state legislator for a visit, please contact the WSRS.





Day of Advocacy in Washington DC, May 24, 2017
A large delegation of WSRS delegation, including radiologists from the Seattle area, Spokane and Vancouver, WA, visited the offices of members of Congress and Washington State’s senators on Wednesday, May 24 during the ACR Annual Meeting.
Attendees were fully prepared by the ACR Government Relations team for their meetings and they did an excellent job of expressing our top legislative priorities including:
- The importance of coverage by Medicare for CT colonography
- Requesting full funding for the NIH for 2018 and beyond
- Advocating for preservation of patient access to early detection cancer screens
For more information on the topics WSRS leaders and their colleagues from around the country discussed with lawmakers, visit the links below, prepared by the ACR’s Government Relations team.








WSRS Day of Advocacy in Olympia, 2017









If you have questions about WSRS government relations activities or would like to get involved, please contact executive director Debra Alderman: debra@wsrs.org or 206-956-3650.