Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Appropriations Committee

SB 6519

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Description: Concerning public school employees' insurance benefits reporting.

Sponsors: Senators Litzow, Hobbs, Keiser and McAuliffe.

Brief Summary of Bill

  • Requires the Office of the Insurance Commissioner to share all data, information, and documents collected for the K-12 Health Benefits Study with the Health Care Authority (HCA).

  • Provides that the data, information and documents provided to the HCA or the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee are exempt from public disclosure.

Hearing Date: 3/1/14

Staff: David Pringle (786-7310).

Background:

The 2012 Legislature passed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5940 which was in regard to health benefits provided to school district employees. The Office of Insurance Commissioner (OIC) must collect detailed enrollment and financial information from school districts and health insurance carriers on the health benefit plans purchased by 295 school districts.

The OIC must report to the Legislature annually, beginning December 1, 2013, with summary level information. The first report submitted in December includes a summary indicating there were 408 health plans purchased for 104,431 employees, or 211,053 total members including dependents, with combined premiums totaling $1.04 billion for 2012.

Additional reports are required from the Health Care Authority (HCA), June 1, 2015, and the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC), December 31, 2015. The agencies must complete detailed analyses of the school district purchasing and the claims data that are not available from the summary report. The data, information, and documents submitted to the OIC are protected from public disclosure, and additional federal data protections have been applied. There have been concerns about sharing the data with the HCA since the bill did not provide specific protections for the data in the HCA.

Summary of Bill:

The OIC must share all data, information, and documents collected for the health benefit study with the HCA. The data, information, and documents provided to the HCA by the OIC, a school district, a health plan providing school district benefits, or the LARC are exempt from public disclosure.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.