Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Health Care & Wellness Committee
SB 5242
Brief Description: Prohibiting cost sharing for abortion.
Sponsors: Senators Cleveland, Robinson, Dhingra, Frame, Hasegawa, Hunt, Keiser, Lovelett, Nobles, Pedersen, Randall, Salda?a, Salomon, Stanford, Valdez, Wellman and Wilson, C..
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Prohibits health plans from imposing cost-sharing for abortion services.
Hearing Date: 3/17/23
Staff: Kim Weidenaar (786-7120).
Background:

A health plan, including student health plans, that provides coverage for maternity care or services must also provide substantially equivalent coverage to permit the abortion of a pregnancy.  The plan may not limit a person's access to services related to the abortion of a pregnancy, except for generally applicable terms and conditions, including cost-sharing.  A health plan is not required to cover abortions that would be illegal under state law.
Summary of Bill:

For health plans, including health plans offered to public employees and their covered dependents, issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2024, a health carrier may not impose cost sharing for abortion of a pregnancy. 


For health plans offered as a qualifying health plan for a health savings account, the health plan must establish the plan's cost sharing for the coverage of abortion services at the minimum level necessary to preserve the enrollee's ability to claim tax exempt contributions and withdrawals from the enrollee's health savings account.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.