The WAFP Commission on Legislation and Governmental Affairs (CLGA) works to ensure that policies are implemented in Washington that support family physicians' ability to practice medicine and protect patients access to health care in Washington State.

CLGA carefully evaluates legislative and regulatory proposals with an eye to the proposal's impact on patient access to health care and the future viability of family physicians' practices.  The Commission, with guidance from House of Delegates resolutions make recommendations to the WAFP Board of Directors about appropriate positions, policies and actions for the Academy to adopt and to advocate for in its interactions with public policy stakeholders and coalitions.

Issues the WAFP Board & CLGA are currently working on include:

1. Improve access to high quality primary care focused health care at an affordable cost for all Washingtonians.
2. Support efforts to improve the pipeline of family physicians. 
1. Medical student recruitment/retention.
2. Loan forgiveness for family medicine specialty selection.
3. Continue to educate legislators and policy makers on the advantages of the New Model of Practice.  As part of that, advocate the AAFP definition of "medical home." 
1. Increase the use of a medical home provided by primary care physicians through funding of primary care medical home pilot projects. 
2. Develop a tracking system to measure patient improvement in the medical home pilot projects.
4. Support efforts to increase Medicaid reimbursement for primary care services.
5. Support a business and occupation tax exemption on government provided medical care (e.g. Medicare, Medicaid, and Basic Health Plan.).
6. Support tax incentives to encourage and expand investment by physicians in electronic medical records and related systems.
7. Provide health information technology start-up funding for physicians who agree to participate in the medical home pilot projects.
8. Seek restrictions on dissemination of physicians' prescribing information to pharmaceutical companies.