2023 Legislative Agenda

WAFP's 2023 Legislative Agenda is below. Questions should be directed to Brian Hunsicker, WAFP's director of external affairs, at brian@wafp.net.

With an emphasis on health equity, in the 2023 session the Washington Academy of Family Physicians will:

Support legislation reinforcing the essential role of primary care in the physical and mental health of Washington residents, including any to:

• Further integrate mental health services into primary care settings and support the significant contributions of family physicians in providing mental and behavioral health care.
• Reduce the legal, administrative, and tax burden imposed on family physicians.
• Increase spending on primary care as a proportion of overall health spending.

Support legislation improving Washington residents’ access to high quality primary care services, including any to:

• Create incentives for medical students to select primary care residencies and for primary care residents to remain in Washington state after residency.
• Expand access to quality, affordable health care coverage.
• Sustain Community Health Centers, Rural Health Clinics, and Teaching Health Centers.
• Increase Graduate Medical Education funding for family medicine residencies.
• Enable broader use of telehealth where doing so will strengthen primary care.
• Expand access to reproductive health care, including abortion care.

Support legislation addressing social determinants of health and strengthening the public health system, including any to:

• Prioritize treatment instead of punishment for people with substance use disorder.
• Sufficiently fund core public health services and support local public health officers and science-based governance of local boards of health.
• Address racism, firearm safety, and climate change as public health crises.
• Improve access to housing and good nutrition.
• Integrate services to address social determinants of health into primary care.

Oppose legislation diminishing the role of or reducing access to family physicians, or making it harder to maintain such a practice, including any to:

• Impose inappropriate new programs or requirements on family physicians.
• Mandate additional training or continuing education.
• Reduce quality or increase risks to patients.
• Reduce funding to crucial primary care education or safety net health care programs.