| Passed by the House March 3, 2009 Yeas 97 FRANK CHOPP ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate April 3, 2009 Yeas 46 BRAD OWEN ________________________________________ President of the Senate | I, Barbara Baker, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1308 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. BARBARA BAKER ________________________________________ Chief Clerk | |
| Approved April 13, 2009, 3:48 p.m. CHRISTINE GREGOIRE ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | April 14, 2009 Secretary of State State of Washington |
| State of Washington | 61st Legislature | 2009 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/20/09.
AN ACT Relating to reducing organ transplant benefit waiting periods based upon prior creditable coverage; adding a new section to chapter 48.43 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 It is the intent of the legislature to
reduce organ transplant benefit waiting periods for covered persons who
have had prior continuous coverage and have changed health carriers or
health benefit plans.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 48.43 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) For each health benefit plan that is issued or renewed on or
after January 1, 2010, a health carrier shall reduce any organ
transplant benefit waiting period by the amount of time a covered
person had prior creditable coverage. Benefits provided are subject to
all other terms and conditions of the health benefit plan, including
but not limited to any applicable coinsurances, deductibles, and
copayments.
(2) For purposes of this section, "creditable coverage" means the
same as set forth in section 2701 of the federal health insurance
portability and accountability act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 300gg), as
it existed on the effective date of this section, or on such subsequent
date as may be provided by the commissioner by rule, consistent with
the purposes of this section, and also includes coverage which
terminated during the period beginning ninety days and ending sixty-four days before the date of application for the new plan if that
coverage would otherwise have qualified as creditable coverage under
that federal act.