Healthcare

SB 5577 requires Washington State's Medicaid program (Apple Health) to cover all FDA-approved HIV antiviral drugs without prior authorization or step therapy for both fee-for-service and managed care plans. This policy change directly affects Medicaid patients with HIV and the managed care organizations administering their coverage. The law eliminates extra approval steps needed to access these medications, ensuring faster treatment access. It takes effect on July 27, 2025, after being signed into law following legislative passage.

SB 5084 requires health insurance companies in Washington to annually report how much they spend on primary care services from the previous calendar year. This applies directly to all health insurance carriers operating in the state. The law mandates that these reports become public information and specifies that the state insurance commissioner will determine the format for reporting, considering existing definitions of primary care spending and related targets. The law takes effect on July 27, 2025.