Speak Up Now: Oppose HCA’s Sole‑Source Incontinence & Urological Proposal
Dear Adult Family Home Provider,
The Health Care Authority (HCA) is proposing a statewide sole‑source contract for incontinence and urological supplies for Apple Health clients. This means a single statewide mail‑order vendor would control these products instead of the current network of multiple qualified suppliers that understand adult family homes.
Adult family homes rely on responsive, knowledgeable suppliers to match residents with the right products, resolve fit and function issues, and respond quickly when conditions change. A one‑size‑fits‑all, single‑vendor model risks product failures, delivery delays, and fewer options when items are not working, which can lead to skin breakdown, falls, sleep disruption, and behavioral escalation for residents with complex needs.
AFHC is strongly opposing this proposal and urging the state to either drop or pause the sole‑source RFP and work with stakeholders, including adult family homes, to design a better solution that preserves resident choice, continuity of care, and access to multiple experienced suppliers.
Now is the time for you to speak up.
What you can do NOW
Email your three state legislators (2 Representatives and 1 Senator).
Email HCA Procurements at HCAProcurements@hca.wa.org to share how this will impact your residents and your home.
Even a short, personal message makes a difference.
Step‑by‑step: How to contact your legislators
Step 1: Find your district and legislators
Enter your adult family home’s street address, city, and ZIP code.
Click “Find My District.”
You will see your legislative district number and your two State Representatives and one State Senator.
Step 2: Open each legislator’s contact page
Use the browse/search options to find each of your legislators.
Click on each legislator’s name.
On each legislator’s page, click the button or link that says “Contact Your Legislator.”
This opens their online email form.
Send them the following email below, personalized by you.
Sample email you can adapt for legislators
You can copy, paste, and personalize this message in each legislator’s email form:
Subject: Please oppose HCA’s sole‑source incontinence supply proposal
Dear [Representative/Senator] [Last Name],
My name is [Your Name], and I own and operate [Adult Family Home Name] in your district in [City]. I care for [number] medically complex seniors and adults with disabilities who depend on Apple Health for their incontinence and urological supplies.
I am writing to urge you to reach out to the Health Care Authority and oppose their proposal to move to a statewide sole‑source contract for incontinence and urological supplies for Apple Health clients.
In my home, each resident has very individual continence and skin‑care needs. We work closely with our current suppliers to find the right products, sizes, and absorbency levels, and we often need fast changes when a resident’s condition changes. Losing access to multiple experienced suppliers and being forced to use a single statewide mail‑order vendor would put my residents at risk of:
Inappropriate or poor‑fitting products that can cause skin breakdown, infections, and falls
Delays or gaps in deliveries, especially if thousands of residents are switched to one vendor at the same time
Fewer options when a product is not working, which harms dignity and comfort
Instead of a sole‑source model, I support maintaining multiple qualified suppliers and engaging adult family homes and other long‑term care providers in designing a better approach that protects resident choice, continuity of care, and access across the state.
Please:
Urge HCA to drop or pause the current sole‑source RFP for incontinence and urological supplies.
Support a stakeholder process that includes adult family homes and other long‑term care providers to develop a multi‑supplier solution.
Thank you for your leadership on behalf of seniors and adults with disabilities, and for considering the impact this change would have on small, home‑like settings like mine. I would be happy to share more about how this proposal would affect my residents and staff.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Title, Adult Family Home Name]
[City]
[Email]
[Phone]
We encourage you to add one or two very specific examples from your home to personalize your message.
Step‑by‑step: How to email HCA Procurements
Step 1: Start a new email
Open your email program (Outlook, Gmail, etc.).
Click “New Email” or “Compose.”
Step 2: Fill in the email
To: HCAProcurements@hca.wa.org
Subject: Please do not move to a sole‑source contract for incontinence and urological supplies
In the body, you can:
Introduce yourself and your adult family home.
State that you strongly oppose the statewide sole‑source RFP for incontinence and urological supplies for Apple Health clients.
Describe how you work with your current suppliers to keep residents safe, comfortable, and dignified.
Explain the risks of forcing all residents and homes to use a single statewide vendor (delivery problems, wrong products, less choice, more clinical risk).
Ask HCA to drop or pause the RFP and instead work with adult family homes and other providers on a multi‑supplier model that maintains several experienced vendors and prioritizes resident choice and continuity of care.
Close with your name, home name, city, and contact information.
Your direct experience and your residents’ stories are powerful. A few minutes to send these emails can help protect resident dignity, safety, and choice in continence care across the state.
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