OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State legislature passed a bill on Tuesday, March 8th, that attempts to expand access to affordable healthcare.
The bill reinforces the existing charity care law, giving eligibility to nearly half of all Washingtonians for free or discounted hospital care.
Once the bill takes effect, Washington will have the strongest protections for individual cost in the country.
The bill outlines two tiers of medical centers, with category 1 hospitals providing free care to all households with an income up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level.
Whatcom’s own Peacehealth St. Joseph Medical Center falls under that category.
The bill places the maximum income for two-person households to receive free care at $54,930 and four-person households at $83,250.