Health care reform has been on everyone’s radar for many years. For sure, it’s a topic that regularly shows up in all the papers. The debate, which is seldom what any thinking soul would call a good-natured gabfest, all-too-often devolves into a downright donnybrook.
No less than other citizens and other health-care professionals, physical therapists have a huge stake in this discussion. Rep. John McCoy spoke with many attendees at the Physical Therapy Association of Washington (PTWA) 2013 Conference earlier this month in Tulalip. The conference brought together physical therapists from all over the state. McCoy, a veteran Snohomish County lawmaker, talked about health-care reform and other issues in the PTWA conference-meeting that he attended.
Among other things, McCoy reminded folks about the new Washington Healthplanfinder. This is our state’s online marketplace for individuals, families, and small businesses to compare and enroll in health-insurance coverage. The six-month enrollment period started Oct. 1, and it runs through the end of March next year. A toll-free Customer Support Center (1-855-923-4633) is staffed weekdays from 7:30 in the morning until 8 at night. You can also e-mail “customersupport@wahbexchange.org” and seek answers to your questions about the Healthplanfinder. Although computer-kinks early on threw a monkey wrench into this new system, these wrinkles in the program’s opening days have been largely ironed out.
Check these recent HDC Advance posts for earlier, and very thorough, information on our state of Washington’s implementation of the federal Affordable Care Act:
· WA Healthplanfinder: Accept no imitations.
· VA benefits unaffected by health care reform.
· Get answers to your questions on shopping for insurance next month.
· Health care reform in less than seven minutes.
Oh, yes: Some other programs at the PTWA’s three-day 2013 Conference were no doubt very tough acts for the legislator to follow. Earlier programs included such titles as:
· “The ICF Model in Pediatrics: What It Is and How to Use It.”
· “Sports Concussion: Therapeutic and Medical Management.”
· “Differential Diagnosis: Screening for Medical Referral.”
(“ICF,” by the by, stands for the “International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.”)
