01/12/2026
*WASHINGTON STATE RESIDENTS*
Please take one minute to register in favor of HB 2196, to give kids with PANS/PANDAS access to a potentially life-saving treatment, IV Immunoglobulin. The bill will be heard in the health and wellness committee this Friday, and we need all the support we can get. If you care about health equity, this is a cause worth your vote.
https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Testifier/Add?chamber=House&mId=33577&aId=167925&caId=27158&tId=3
Brief facts:
- WA Medicaid already covers it.
- Commercial insurers are NOT required to cover IVIg, and many won't, regardless of a doctor's orders.
- Kids from families who don't qualify for Medicaid, but can't afford to pay out of pocket, face potentially life-long disabilities, since it's vital to get treatment as early as possible for a full recovery.
- This bill requires insurance companies to cover IVIg, when prescribed by the child's treating physician.
- Oregon passed this legislation last year, and hopefully Washington is next.
Why I care:
As a physician, I get really fired up when insurance companies deny life-saving treatments to protect their bottom line. And when children are left to suffer, it's even more egregious. Research shows that paying for IVIg actually saves money in the long-term, by preventing life-long disability, and wages lost when parents are forced to leave the workforce to care for their disabled children.
ALL CHILDREN deserve quality healthcare, not just the few who can afford it.
Please please please...take literally less than one minute to click the link, and select "PRO" from the drop down menu. You do not have to submit a comment. But if you choose, feel free to voice your mind.
Thank you, really, from the bottom of my heart.
Click here to register your position: https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Testifier/Add?chamber=House&mId=33577&aId=167925&caId=27158&tId=
