State Regulatory

27 May

Washington’s new long-term care payroll tax is coming soon to: Important informational webinars offered

wsvma   |   Legislative, State Regulatory

Did you know that WA passed legislation and employees will pay a new payroll tax starting on Jan. 1, 2022, to fund a long-term care (LTC) trust? It is going to be funded by W-2 wage-earning employees, including practice owners. But will you benefit from your own contributions? A webinar featuring Dr. Darby Affeldt and Chris Sitek will discuss this and much more during this timely webinar. Topics they’ll cover include: The WA State Cares Fund Payroll deductions begin Jan....

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30 April

Newly signed bill by Gov. Inslee amends definition of compounding

wsvma   |   Legislative, State Regulatory

Substitute House Bill 1445 (SHB 1445) amends the definition of compounding for the practice of pharmacy in RCW 18.64.011(6). The current definition of "compounding" includes simple processes, such as adding water to an antibiotic or for instance, adding saline to a COVID-19 vaccine. Neither the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nor the official United States Pharmacopeia (USP) considers those processes to constitute compounding. SHB 1445 changes the definition to: (6) "Compounding" means the act of combining two or more...

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09 April

State legislative update

wsvma   |   State Regulatory

This issue of the State Legislative Update includes select summaries of bills and regulations introduced in March and tracked by the AVMA Division of State Advocacy. Bills abound on declaw bans, liability, and licensure. Enactments The North Dakota Veterinary Medical Association championed ND SB 2140 which waives repayment requirements for individuals participating in the Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP) in veterinary medicine who entered an agreement with the state board of higher education during the biennium beginning July 1, 2019, and ending...

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02 April

Updated COVID-19 Reopening Guide for veterinary practices available now

wsvma   |   COVID-19, State Regulatory

In response to loosening restrictions, the WSVMA is releasing an updated version of COVID-19: A Guide to Reopening Veterinary Medicine in Washington – Phase 3 to give additional information for practices as more people become vaccinated and counties begin to allow more people to gather. The guide, written by well-known expert Scott Weese, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM in partnership with the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, lays out a comprehensive plan to implement appropriate measures to continue ensuring the health and safety of both veterinary...

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02 April

The WA State Long Term Care Trust Act: If you are still working in 2022, how this will affect you…and it’s a great reminder to everyone to build an LTC strategy now!

wsvma   |   State Regulatory

Did you know that all employees in Washington state – all of them – will pay a new payroll tax starting on January 1st, 2022 to fund a long-term care trust?  Washington is the first state in the nation to create a publicly funded insurance program of this sort, and it’s going to be funded by you if you are a Washington W-2 wage-earning employee, which includes practice owners.  But will you benefit from your own contributions?  Perhaps, but this...

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19 March

Washington veterinarians and veterinary students as COVID-19 vaccine administrators

wsvma   |   COVID-19, State Regulatory

Due to dedicated efforts by the AVMA, veterinarians and veterinary students are now authorized to administer COVID-19 vaccines to human patients in all 50 states under the PREP Act. As the federal government anticipates significantly ramping up vaccine allocation as additional vaccines become available, there is a need to have a cadre of authorized volunteers to assist with vaccine administration. The WSVMA has discussed this with the WA State Dept. of Health (DOH) and the following information is provided. Veterinarians (both with...

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12 March

FAQs about rabies vaccine administration

wsvma   |   State Regulatory

The Veterinary Board of Governors (Board) periodically receives questions about rabies regulations and how to respond during different scenarios. The guidance below addresses rabies vaccine administration. What if the client refuses the rabies vaccine? The rabies rule (see (3)) requires animal owners, not veterinarians to ensure animals are appropriately vaccinated. If the client refuses to follow this requirement, you can: Make sure they understand that it is their responsibility to have their animals vaccinated under Washington law. Let them know that if their animal...

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13 November

Participants needed for Washington study to examine COVID-19 transmission between humans and their companion animals.

wsvma   |   State Regulatory

The COVID-19 and Pets Study (CAPS) is recruiting participants for a study to sample companion animals of positive COVID-19 patients to learn more about the role animals play in the coronavirus outbreak. The University of Washington Center for One Health Research and Washington State University is conducting the pilot study of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and their pets, in collaboration with the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Washington State University. What does the study involve? A one-time...

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06 November

Scammers pose as Department of Health officials in fraudulent schemes targeting medical providers

wsvma   |   State Regulatory

OLYMPIA – Warning to health care professionals with Washington licenses: Beware of scammers falsely claiming to represent the Washington State Department of Health – and don’t send money to anyone without being certain of the recipient’s identity. That comes in the wake of at least two apparent attempts to defraud Washington providers. One attempt failed, but the other proved costly to a dentist. In that case, the dentist received a call from someone spoofing the Department of Health’s telephone number, along with...

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30 October

Animal Disease Traceability program seeks feedback

wsvma   |   State Regulatory

The WSDA Animal Disease Traceability Program is asking for your feedback to help guide the program projects for the next three years. Please click here to complete this short survey. The survey should take no more than 5 minutes. Thank you for your time and giving us your invaluable ideas for how to use ADT funding to support all sectors of the cattle industry.   Posted October 30, 2020...

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