Healthcare

passed both · Washington · Senate Mar 9, 2026

SJM 8002: Concerning Medicare.

Senate Joint Memorial 8002 is a resolution from the Washington State Legislature to the federal government concerning Medicare. It expresses opposition to Medicare privatization and urges federal action to create a more equitable system between Original Medicare and private Medicare Advantage plans. The memorial specifically requests the federal government to eliminate Original Medicare's 20 percent copays, add benefits like dental and vision, cap out-of-pocket medical expenses, and eliminate excessive administrative costs and profits within Medicare Advantage. It also seeks to recoup funds from documented overpayments and fraud in Medicare Advantage programs to support a stronger Original Medicare system for seniors and disabled beneficiaries.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill opposes Medicare privatization, seeks to eliminate copays, add dental/vision benefits, and cap out-of-pocket costs - directly advancing equitable healthcare access and strengthening Medicare coverage.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

passed both · Washington · House Mar 6, 2026

HB 2168: Facilitating the rapid sharing of overdose mapping information for overdose prevention.

HB 2168 creates a real-time overdose mapping system to help prevent opioid overdoses in Washington. It requires emergency medical services (like ambulances and aid services) to submit anonymized data - such as location, time, whether reversal medication was used, and fatality status - within 24 hours of treating an overdose to a centralized program. This data helps health and public safety agencies quickly identify overdose hotspots and deploy targeted prevention efforts, like public education or treatment resources, without using the information for law enforcement. The bill explicitly prohibits using the data for criminal investigations or identifying individuals, ensuring privacy protections for those seeking care.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates real-time overdose mapping system to identify hotspots and deploy prevention efforts, strengthening public health response to opioid crisis.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · Washington · House Feb 19, 2026

HB 1589: Concerning the relationships between health carriers and contracting providers.

House Bill 1589 updates regulations concerning health insurance companies and healthcare providers. It requires the state insurance commissioner to ensure health carriers' networks include a sufficient number of contracted providers, specifically for emergency, anesthesiology, and behavioral health services. The bill outlines conditions under which carriers can use alternative methods to meet network needs, ensuring patients do not incur greater costs. Additionally, it mandates that health carriers offer providers a meaningful, good-faith opportunity to negotiate contract terms, prohibiting specific actions like failing to provide a clear fee schedule or contract changes.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires sufficient provider networks for emergency, anesthesiology, and behavioral health services, ensuring patient access without increased costs, directly advancing healthcare access and patient rights.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1218: Concerning persons referred for competency evaluation and restoration services.

HB 1218 aims to improve services for individuals referred for competency evaluations and restoration within the criminal justice system, particularly those with behavioral health needs. The bill expands and clarifies the role of forensic navigators, who courts may appoint to assist these individuals. Forensic navigators help individuals access diversion programs, community outpatient competency restoration services, housing, and medication, while also providing updates to the court and legal parties. The goal is to reduce the demand on forensic mental health facilities by diverting individuals to community-based behavioral health care.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands forensic navigators to connect individuals with behavioral health needs to diversion, housing, and outpatient services, reducing reliance on incarceration and advancing rehabilitation-focused criminal justice reform.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands access to community mental health services for individuals in criminal justice system through forensic navigators, improving healthcare access for behavioral health needs.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 2041: Concerning postpartum coverage.

HB 2041 concerns postpartum health care coverage for residents of Washington state. Until June 30, 2026, the bill requires the state to provide 12 months of continuous postpartum health care coverage to individuals with incomes up to 210% of the federal poverty level. After this date, the continuous postpartum coverage period will be six months, maintaining the 210% income threshold. The bill also directs the state to prioritize maximizing federal funding for eligible individuals and mandates annual reporting from managed care organizations on maternal health services.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExtends postpartum health coverage from 6 to 12 months (until 2026) for low-income individuals, expanding access to health services and insurance coverage.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1230: Requiring that experience-rated group disability income insurers include all applicable rating factors and credibility formulas in rate manual filings with the insurance commissioner.

House Bill 1230 requires experience-rated group disability income insurers in Washington state to include all applicable rating factors and credibility formulas when they file their rate manuals with the Insurance Commissioner. These filings must be detailed enough to allow the Commissioner to confirm if a group is credible and to replicate the premium rates for that group based on its experience and demographics. This bill aims to provide greater transparency and oversight for how these specific disability insurance rates are calculated.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates transparency in disability insurance pricing, improving consumer access to clear rate information and oversight of coverage terms, aligning with patient access indicators.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1430: Concerning advanced practice registered nurse and physician assistant reimbursement.

HB 1430 requires health carriers in Washington state to reimburse advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants at the same rate as physicians for providing identical health care services. This mandate applies to health plans issued or renewed starting January 1, 2026, excluding those offered to public employees. Health carriers are prohibited from decreasing physician reimbursement rates to meet this requirement. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner will collect data on the implementation, including rate changes and costs, and report to the legislature by July 1, 2027. This section does not apply to advanced practice registered nurses or physician assistants who are employees of a health maintenance organization.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates equal reimbursement for APRNs/PAs vs physicians, improving access to care by removing financial barriers for providers and patients.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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signed · Washington · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 5388: Concerning department of corrections behavioral health certification.

Senate Bill 5388 revises how behavioral health services, including substance use disorder treatment, are regulated for individuals in Washington state correctional facilities. Rather than requiring these services to be licensed by the Department of Health (DOH), the bill shifts to a monitoring process. The Department of Corrections (DOC) and DOH will jointly establish standards for these services, which the DOH will then monitor through annual inspections for compliance. The DOC must implement these standards by July 1, 2027, with DOH beginning annual inspections and providing technical assistance from that date forward.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill revises behavioral health oversight in prisons to improve treatment access, aligning with rehabilitation-focused criminal justice reform by shifting to joint standards with annual monitoring.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill establishes joint DOC-DOH standards for behavioral health services in prisons, ensuring continued access to mental health/substance use treatment through monitoring, not licensing, strengthening care delivery.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Washington · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 5568: Updating and modernizing the Washington state health plan.

This bill updates and modernizes the Washington state health plan by revising the duties of the Office of Financial Management (OFM) regarding health planning. It designates OFM as the coordinating body for strategic health planning and expands its access to various health care data sources, such as the all-payer claims database, to inform its efforts. OFM is now required to develop a statewide health resources strategy, in coordination with stakeholders, to establish policies and goals for health care facility and service availability, quality, and cost by geographic region. The bill also updates definitions for various health facilities, including changing "psychiatric hospitals" to "behavioral health hospitals."

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill modernizes health planning by designating OFM as coordinator, expands data access for strategic planning, and mandates statewide health resources strategy development to strengthen system coordination and resource allocation.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Washington · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 5101: Expanding access to leave and safety accommodations to include workers who are victims of hate crimes or bias incidents.

SB 5101 expands existing Washington State protections for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking to also include employees who are victims of hate crimes or bias incidents, or whose family members are victims. The bill allows these employees to take reasonable leave from work, which can be intermittent or on a reduced schedule, with or without pay. This leave can be used for reasons such as seeking legal assistance, medical treatment, counseling, or engaging in safety planning related to the hate crime. Employers are required to provide reasonable safety accommodations and may ask for verification of the incident and the need for leave.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill provides leave for medical treatment and counseling, directly enabling access to healthcare services for victims of hate crimes.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands workplace leave protections to include hate crime victims, strengthening worker safety rights and access to accommodations under Labor & Employment policies.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare