Another Successful DO Day for WOMA
The Washington Osteopathic Medical Association continues to be your strong advocate for osteopathic medicine in our state. Our DO Day in Olympia on February 27, 2025, was a significant success, with excellent turnout from PNWU and WOMA members from across Washington. We appreciate the strong showing and the impactful meetings that PNWU and WOMA's lobbyist helped arrange with legislators, allowing us to effectively communicate our legislative priorities, shaped by your valuable survey responses. While the Prior Authorization bill, SB 5395, did not pass, we remain committed to pursuing future legislative avenues to address prior authorization challenges that affect our clinics, patient care, and healthcare costs. On a brighter note, the House of Representatives approved HB 1392, the Medicaid Access Program legislation to leverage federal funds and increase Medicaid reimbursement rates. The bill now moves to the Senate and we are hopeful it will pass the legislature this session.
Looking ahead, we are already planning for DO Day 2026. To maximize our impact, we are aiming for an earlier DO Day in early 2026, ahead of key legislative deadlines in the short 2026 session (which convenes on January 12, 2026, with policy and fiscal deadlines in early February). Your input is crucial! Please participate in our upcoming survey later this year to help us define our 2026 legislative priorities.
Finally, we want to bring to your attention an important matter regarding potential scope of practice expansion. WOMA co-signed a letter with WSMA to the Department of Health outlining our opposition to the proposed prescriptive authority expansion for pharmacists. While the related bill did not advance, the issue is still active. The Department of Health is now inviting public comments as part of a Sunrise Review to inform future legislative discussions on this matter. We encourage you to submit written comments to sunrise@doh.wa.gov by April 1, 2025, and/or plan to provide oral comments at a public meeting on May 14, 2025, beginning at 1:00pm. Registration is available on the DOH website HERE.
Thank you for your continued dedication to osteopathic medicine and your engagement with WOMA. Your voice is essential in shaping the future of healthcare in Washington State.
