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NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter
43.71 RCW to read as follows:
(1) By January 1, 2025, the exchange must establish a worker health plan access program to help Washingtonians who lose health care coverage provided by their employer or a joint labor management trust as a result of an active strike, lockout, or other labor dispute.
(2) Subject to the availability of funding, the exchange must provide enrollment assistance to help maintain coverage for individuals and their dependents who:
(a) Provide a self-attestation regarding loss of minimum essential health care coverage from an employer or joint labor management trust fund as a result of an active strike, lockout, or other labor dispute; and
(b) Are eligible for coverage offered through the exchange.
(3) The exchange may request, and an applicable employer, labor organization, or other appropriate representative, must provide, information to determine the status of a strike, lockout, or labor dispute, its impact to coverage, and any other information determined by the exchange as necessary to conduct outreach and determine eligibility for federal and state subsidies offered through the exchange.
(4) The exchange must establish a process for providing outreach and enrollment assistance, and may establish additional procedural requirements to administer the program established in subsection (1) of this section.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. This act may be known and cited as the worker health care protection act."
• Codifies the provision under the Washington Health Benefit Exchange (HBE), rather than under the chapter governing employee benefit plans.
• Makes the requirement subject to available funds, rather than subject to amounts specifically appropriated for the purposes of the bill.
• Removes provisions specifying conditions that must be met in order to receive enrollment assistance, and instead requires the HBE to provide enrollment assistance to individuals who provide a self-attestation and who are eligible for coverage offered through the exchange.
• Provides that the HBE may request information to conduct outreach and determine eligibility for "federal and state subsidies" rather than eligibility for "financial assistance" offered through the exchange.