S-1454.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5926

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Senators West, Deccio and Winsley

Read first time 02/20/97.  Referred to Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care.

Providing that coverage under the basic health plan is not substantially equivalent coverage under the Washington state health insurance pool.

    AN ACT Relating to the Washington state health insurance pool; and amending RCW 48.41.130.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    Sec. 1.  RCW 48.41.130 and 1987 c 431 s 13 are each amended to read as follows:

    All policy forms issued by the pool shall conform in substance to prototype forms developed by the pool, and shall in all other respects conform to the requirements of this chapter, and shall be filed with and approved by the commissioner before they are issued.  The pool shall not issue a pool policy to any individual who, on the effective date of the coverage applied for, already has or would have coverage substantially equivalent to a pool policy as an insured or covered dependent, or who would be eligible for such coverage if he or she elected to obtain it at a lesser premium rate.  However, coverage provided by the basic health plan, as established pursuant to chapter 70.47 RCW, shall not be deemed substantially equivalent for the purposes of this section.

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