Notice of Public Hearing for Substitute House Bill 2554

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SHB 2554, titled AN ACT Relating to mitigating inequity in the health insurance market caused by health plans that exclude certain mandated benefits, has been scheduled for a public hearing by the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care.

Date and Time: 02/21/2020 8:00AM (Subject to change by the Legislature.)
Location: J.A. Cherberg Building, Senate Hearing Rm 4, Olympia, WA

The Office of Financial Management has identified this bill as requiring a ten-year projection of increased cost to the taxpayers or affected fee payers.

Ten-year projection:

Office of Insurance Commissioner:

Section 1(2) allows the OIC, for purpose of mitigating inequity in the health insurance market, to access a fee on any health carrier offering a health plan or student health plan if the plan excludes, under state or federal law, any essential health benefit or coverage that is otherwise required or mandated by title 48 or OIC rules.  The fee must be the actuarial equivalent of costs attributed to the provision and administration of the excluded benefit. 

Based on current filings, it is assumed that the OIC will assess a fee on at least five health plans. As part of its rate filing, a health carrier subject to this subsection must submit to the OIC an estimate of the amount of the fee, including supporting documentation of its methods for estimating the fee. The OIC assumes that at least one benefit will be excluded that it will impact: 33 non-covered services provided per year in the large group market and three non-covered services provided per year in the individual market.  However, the OIC is unable to estimate the amount of fees that may be assessed.

Ten-year projection prepared in consultation with the following agencies:

Office of Insurance Commissioner

The substitute bill was proposed by:

House Committee on Health Care & Wellness
(360) 786-7160



The original bill sponsors and contact information are:

Representative Monica Jurado Stonier, Prime Sponsor
Democrat
(360) 786-7872
Monica.Stonier@leg.wa.gov

Representative Eileen Cody
Democrat
(360) 786-7978
Eileen.Cody@leg.wa.gov

Representative Nicole Macri
Democrat
(360) 786-7826
Nicole.Macri@leg.wa.gov

Representative Marcus Riccelli
Democrat
(360) 786-7888
Marcus.Riccelli@leg.wa.gov

Representative June Robinson
Democrat
(360) 786-7864
June.Robinson@leg.wa.gov

Representative Steve Tharinger
Democrat
(360) 786-7904
Steve.Tharinger@leg.wa.gov

Representative Tana Senn
Democrat
(360) 786-7894
Tana.Senn@leg.wa.gov

Representative Strom Peterson
Democrat
(360) 786-7950
Strom.Peterson@leg.wa.gov

Representative Javier Valdez
Democrat
(360) 786-7818
Javier.Valdez@leg.wa.gov

Representative Lauren Davis
Democrat
(360) 786-7910
DAVIS_LA@leg.wa.gov

Representative Beth Doglio
Democrat
(360) 786-7992
Beth.Doglio@leg.wa.gov

Representative Laurie Dolan
Democrat
(360) 786-7940
Laurie.Dolan@leg.wa.gov

Representative Joe Fitzgibbon
Democrat
(360) 786-7952
Joe.Fitzgibbon@leg.wa.gov

Representative Amy Walen
Democrat
(360) 786-7848
WALEN_AM@leg.wa.gov

Representative Noel Frame
Democrat
(360) 786-7814
Noel.Frame@leg.wa.gov

Representative Alex Ramel
Democrat
(360) 786-7970
Alex.Ramel@leg.wa.gov

Representative Gerry Pollet
Democrat
(360) 786-7886
Gerry.Pollet@leg.wa.gov

Representative Cindy Ryu
Democrat
(360) 786-7880
Cindy.Ryu@leg.wa.gov

Representative Roger Goodman
Democrat
(360) 786-7878
Roger.Goodman@leg.wa.gov

Representative Debra Lekanoff
Democrat
(360) 786-7800
LEKANOFF_DE@leg.wa.gov

Representative Timm Ormsby
Democrat
(360) 786-7946
Timm.Ormsby@leg.wa.gov

Representative Mike Chapman
Democrat
(360) 786-7916
Mike.Chapman@leg.wa.gov


Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care members and contact information:

Senator Randi Becker
Republican
(360) 786-7602
Randi.Becker@leg.wa.gov

Senator Annette Cleveland
Democrat
(360) 786-7696
Annette.Cleveland@leg.wa.gov

Senator Steve Conway
Democrat
(360) 786-7656
Steve.Conway@leg.wa.gov

Senator Manka Dhingra
Democrat
(360) 786-7672
Manka.Dhingra@leg.wa.gov

Senator David Frockt
Democrat
(360) 786-7690
David.Frockt@leg.wa.gov

Senator Karen Keiser
Democrat
(360) 786-7664
Karen.Keiser@leg.wa.gov

Senator Ron Muzzall
Republican
(360) 786-7618
MUZZALL_RO@leg.wa.gov

Senator Steve O'Ban
Republican
(360) 786-7654
Steve.OBan@leg.wa.gov

Senator Emily Randall
Democrat
(360) 786-7650
RANDALL_EM@leg.wa.gov

Senator Ann Rivers
Republican
(360) 786-7634
Ann.Rivers@leg.wa.gov

Senator Kevin Van De Wege
Democrat
(360) 786-7646
Kevin.VanDeWege@leg.wa.gov



Legislative Bill Information Website: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/

Initiative 960 Website: http://www.ofm.wa.gov/tax/default.asp