Ruby de Luna

Northwest drivers could be paying more at the pump.   That’s because this week’s refinery fire in California is likely to affect gas prices.  Ruby de Luna has more.

Analysts say get ready to pay as much as four dollars or more per gallon. You can blame the refinery fire in California for the spike. But what does that have to do with fuel prices here?

Overstreet: “We’re locked together at the hip by refinery system on the West Coast.”

The race for the Insurance Commissioner’s Office in Washington State might not be getting as much attention compared to other election races. But whoever wins the office will face a huge undertaking in the coming years as the state embarks on the next major phase of the national health care law. Ruby de Luna reports on the candidates and their views of the office’s role in the Affordable Care Act.

Bailey-Boushay House turns 20 this year. The residential care facility in Seattle’s Madison Valley was the first of its kind in the country. It focused on the health care needs of people with AIDS. It was born out of a crisis. Over the years the patients’ medical needs have changed. The facility has evolved, too. Ruby de Luna traces the history of Bailey-Boushay.

The two men vying to be Washington’s next governor squared off Tuesday.

Jay Inslee and Rob McKenna fielded questions about jobs and the economy. But the opening question was about healthcare.

Seattle city leaders are praising a hero who prevented more victims in Wednesday’s shooting.

Asst. Police Chief Jim Pugel described what he saw from a video that captured the shooting at Café Racer. He says the hero was sitting next to the suspect when he started firing at people.

Pugel: "The hero picked up a stool and threw it at the suspect, hit him. Picked up another stool, and hit him, this time, suspect is pointing at him.  During that time two or possibly three people made their escape and the suspect was between them and the door."

Washington State’s health insurance exchange got a boost. Wednesday the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the state more than $127 million in federal grants. That money will help develop and implement the state’s Health Benefits exchange. The exchange is a marketplace where consumers will be able to compare and shop for health insurance plans.

Secretary of health Kathleen Sebelius says so far 34 states are in different stages of creating their own exchange…

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has sent two epidemiologists to Washington State. The investigators will try to find out what’s causing the state’s rapid rise of whooping cough cases. We get more from Ruby de Luna.

Gov. Chris Gregoire is reaching into emergency funds to help contain the state's whooping cough epidemic.

The state has been trying to crack down on ER visits for conditions that are not critical. But health care providers say the state’s policies go too far, they’re unsafe for patients, and will shift costs to hospitals.

Hospitals and emergency room doctors want to address the problem their own way. They’ve put together what they call best practices for reducing unnecessary ER visits. A key component of that is using an electronic health information system.

Secretary of Health Mary Selecky announced today that as of last month, there have been 640 cases of whooping cough. That’s compared to 94 in the same period last year.

Selecky: “If this pace continues, we’re on track to have the highest number of whooping cough cases in our state in decades.”