The Washington State Health Care Authority supported Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative (CPWI) communities and community-based organizations with awareness events and activities in recognition of National Drug Take Back Day on April 24, 2021.
Partners involved in organizing these activities include, but are not limited to, nonprofit organizations, pharmacies, healthcare facilities, colleges, schools, childcare facilities, youth groups, law enforcement agencies, federal and state agencies, faith-based organizations, senior and assisted living facilities, food and homeless shelters, and local media outlets.
Planning began in January with the collaboration of community coalitions and organizations. Dozens of awareness events were provided to thousands of…
In Washington and throughout the United States, prescription opioids are being misused at an alarming rate. Opioids are now one of the leading causes of injury-related deaths in Washington State. More people die from overdose than from car crashes.¹ While we have come a long way in addressing the opioid epidemic, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this issue, and we are seeing all forms of substance misuse, including opioid misuse, increase substantially.
We understand opioids may be the right choice for patients — and sometimes necessary — for severe pain management. …
In the past year, Amy learned no matter your job or how well you plan, you never know when you’ll need extra help. “I couldn’t plan for a pandemic or for my mom to go through cancer,” she said. “I had the job, I had the degree, but I still needed a little extra help to get my family through this time.”
Amy realized she needed to leave her job so she could care for her mom who lived out of state. With her husband working part time to finish his degree, she wasn’t sure how they were going to…
A Washington State flag and a U.S. flag are making their way around the world thanks to the Health Care Authority’s (HCA) Veterans Employee Resource Group (VERG).
The deployment flags project came out of a virtual meeting in the spring of 2020. With most employees working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, VERG attendance dropped and in-person recognition events were cancelled. To keep the VERG active and creative while staff worked remotely, the idea of deployment flags was a way to continue to recognize veterans virtually.
HCA purchased one U.S. flag and one Washington State flag, and flew them at…
Val is a conservationist and animal lover; even getting her master’s degree in environmental science. After graduation in 2018, her temporary work and health insurance through her university also ended. Work performed during graduate school did not qualify her for unemployment and options for assistance were limited. Val’s struggle to find employment took a toll on her mental health.
After hearing about Washington Apple Health (Medicaid) through a friend, she applied for coverage through wahealthplanfinder.org. Applying was easy and when she reached out to a Washington Healthplanfinder customer support representative, she received a response right away. …
Zenneth and her family love to garden. Spending time outdoors improves her family’s health and mental well-being. She shared, “being healthy isn’t only about your body, it’s also important to care for your mind.” Another stress reliever for Zenneth is knowing her family has quality health coverage through Washington Apple Health (Medicaid).
During her first pregnancy, Zenneth and her husband moved to Washington to be closer to family. They found the application process for free or low-cost Apple Health coverage easy and user-friendly. Today, she manages her family’s coverage online using her secure Washington Healthplanfinder account.
Through prenatal care and…
Seventy-five percent of opioid misuse starts by someone taking a pain medication that was not prescribed to them. On Saturday, April 24, you can join the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day and return your unused medications to a collection center near you.
You are in control of your medications
When you are prescribed an opioid for pain, you may not always finish the medication. Keeping the medication just in case you need it again may seem harmless but can cause a variety of problems.
What harm can my unused meds cause?
Not disposing of leftover opioid medication affects the safety of our kids, families, and our environment in the following ways:
- Twelve percent…
A political refugee from Vietnam, Dr. DoQuyen Huynh, who goes by “Quyen,” came to Seattle at age 11 with her parents and four siblings.
She found herself acting as the family’s translator, and helping her parents navigate a complex and unfamiliar public health care system at a time when resources for interpreters were limited, and social determinants of health were not a focus in health care delivery. This childhood experience defined her life’s work to help immigrant and minority groups access culturally sensitive health care.
Quyen is a family nurse practitioner and spent a decade as a leader at a…
March 23 marks the 11-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) being signed into law. Before the ACA, thousands of low-income adults in Washington had few options for health care coverage. With the provision in the ACA that allowed states to expand Medicaid to more eligible adults, more than 650,000 additional individuals have enrolled in Washington Apple Health (Medicaid) to get essential health care services.
Under the ACA, health plans must cover essential health benefits such as emergency services, doctor visits, prescription drugs, maternity and newborn care, lab services, preventive care, mental health, substance use disorder treatment services, and…
After many years of living with untreated mental health conditions, Tiffany developed a substance use disorder as a means of coping with pain. She lost custody of her children, leading her further into struggles with mental health and substance use. Tiffany experienced homelessness and a strong feeling of no way out.
Tiffany’s Washington Apple Health (Medicaid) coverage was there for her when she was ready to seek help. Apple Health allowed her to work on her mental health while receiving substance use disorder treatment services through an outpatient program. …
Washington State Health Care Authority
HCA is committed to whole-person care, purchasing health care for 2.5 million+ Washingtonians through Apple Health (Medicaid), PEBB, SEBB & COFA programs.
