Signed by Governor Jay Inslee

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report that increases the availability of quality, affordable health coverage in the individual market.

Highlights:

• Requires the Washington health benefit exchange, after consulting with the health care authority and the insurance commissioner, to create a plan to implement and fund premium subsidies for individuals whose modified adjusted gross incomes are below 500 percent of the federal poverty level and who are buying individual market coverage on the exchange, and to submit this plan to the relevant committees of the legislature no later than November 15, 2020 (Sec. 6).

• Requires the exchange, after consulting with the commissioner, the authority, an independent actuary, and other stakeholders, to establish up to 3 standardized health plans at the bronze, silver, and gold levels (Sec. 1).

• Requires the design of the standardized health plans to reduce deductibles, offer more services before the deductible, provide predictable cost sharing, maximize subsidies, limit adverse premium impacts, lessen barriers to maintain and improve health, and encourage choice based on value while limiting increase in health plan premium rates (Sec. 1).

• Requires the exchange to give a notice and public comment period before each year’s standardized health plans are finalized (Sec. 1).

• Requires any health carrier that provides a qualified health plan on the exchange to provide one silver and one gold standardized health plan on the exchange, and any health carrier that provides a bronze health plan on the exchange to offer one bronze standardized health plan on the exchange, starting January 1, 2021 (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits the actuarial value of non-standardized silver health plans provided on the exchange from amounting to less than the actuarial value of the standardized silver health plan with the lowest actuarial value (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that any data submitted by health carriers to the health benefit exchange for purposes regarding the creation of standardized health plans, and to the health care authority regarding purposes of section 3 of this act, are exempt from disclosure (Sec. 2).

• Requires the authority, after consulting with the health benefit exchange, to contract with one or more health carriers to provide qualified health plans on the Washington health benefit exchange for plan years starting in 2021 (Sec. 3).

• Establishes that this act will be null and void if specific funding for this act is not provided by June 30, 2019, in the omnibus appropriations act (Sec. 10).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report that increases the availability of quality, affordable health coverage in the individual market.

Highlights:

• Requires the Washington health benefit exchange, after consulting with the health care authority and the insurance commissioner, to create a plan to implement and fund premium subsidies for individuals whose modified adjusted gross incomes are below 500 percent of the federal poverty level and who are buying individual market coverage on the exchange, and to submit this plan to the relevant committees of the legislature no later than November 15, 2020 (Sec. 6).

• Requires the exchange, after consulting with the commissioner, the authority, an independent actuary, and other stakeholders, to establish up to 3 standardized health plans at the bronze, silver, and gold levels (Sec. 1).

• Requires the design of the standardized health plans to reduce deductibles, offer more services before the deductible, provide predictable cost sharing, maximize subsidies, limit adverse premium impacts, lessen barriers to maintain and improve health, and encourage choice based on value while limiting increase in health plan premium rates (Sec. 1).

• Requires the exchange to give a notice and public comment period before each year’s standardized health plans are finalized (Sec. 1).

• Requires any health carrier that provides a qualified health plan on the exchange to provide one silver and one gold standardized health plan on the exchange, and any health carrier that provides a bronze health plan on the exchange to offer one bronze standardized health plan on the exchange, starting January 1, 2021 (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits the actuarial value of non-standardized silver health plans provided on the exchange from amounting to less than the actuarial value of the standardized silver health plan with the lowest actuarial value (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that any data submitted by health carriers to the health benefit exchange for purposes regarding the creation of standardized health plans, and to the health care authority regarding purposes of section 3 of this act, are exempt from disclosure (Sec. 2).

• Requires the authority, after consulting with the health benefit exchange, to contract with one or more health carriers to provide qualified health plans on the Washington health benefit exchange for plan years starting in 2021 (Sec. 3).

• Establishes that this act will be null and void if specific funding for this act is not provided by June 30, 2019, in the omnibus appropriations act (Sec. 10).

Full Bill Text