Access to Health Insurance

HRSA State Planning Grant

Guiding Principles

These guiding principles provide context for work conducted under the auspices of the state planning grant on access to health insurance. The bullets are not in any priority order.

In our approach to "doing the work of" the grant we are committed to:

  • Seeking input and feedback in a low key but broadly inclusive manner
  • Not advocating for any single approach
  • Informing discussions through solid data and analysis
  • Maintaining faith that there are good ideas yet to come
  • Keeping expectations of the grant realistic - one step forward is one step better than nothing
  • Doing work that is relevant for today's and tomorrow's circumstances
  • Building on, being complementary to, and supporting efforts of others to address related issues
  • Focusing our expertise and resources where they can be of greatest value
  • Being informed and inspired by the experience and lessons of previous and concurrent efforts
  • Moving beyond "admiring" the problem

In researching options to address access, we are interested in ideas that:

  • Include local / community control and accountability
  • Seek to expand private/public partnerships
  • Reduce existing system complexities
  • Are incremental and focused, preferably within a context of longer-range solutions
  • Maintain consumer protections and choice but allow for regulatory or statutory simplification
  • Are voluntary and incentive-based
  • Target specific barriers and gaps faced by specific groups
  • Refocus, redirect, and maximize existing delivery and financial resources
  • Retain valued aspects of the current delivery and financing systems
  • Challenge historical and existing assumptions about programs and systems
  • Assist in maintaining Washington's gains of the past

The Washington State Planning Grant (SPG) on Access to Health Insurance is a small federally funded project that provides on-going data, policy, and liaison support on issues related to Washington's uninsured. Funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Health Service, Health Resources and Services Administration's Bureau of Professions State Planning Grant #1 P09 HS 00002.

Last modified: December 12, 2005
E-mail: OFM.Forecasting@ofm.wa.gov