S-3903.1
SENATE BILL 6182
State of Washington | 68th Legislature | 2024 Regular Session |
BySenators Rivers, Keiser, Torres, and Valdez
Read first time 01/11/24.Referred to Committee on Health & Long Term Care.
AN ACT Relating to providing prescription drug coverage for the treatment of obesity; adding a new section to chapter
41.05 RCW; adding a new section to chapter
74.09 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that obesity is a serious condition that can be associated with some of the leading causes of death such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
(2) The United States food and drug administration recently approved new drugs for chronic weight management in adults with obesity that activate receptors of hormones to reduce appetite and food intake, citing the health benefits of these drugs when done in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
(3) The legislature concurs with the United States food and drug administration that these drugs present an option to address an unmet medical need for many in Washington, and that obesity has been found to be disproportionately present in low-income adults in our state.
(4) In light of the health benefits, both short and long term, the legislature intends with this act to authorize United States food and drug administration drugs approved for chronic weight management be added to the state's medicaid preferred drug list, and to public employee health benefit plan coverage.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter
41.05 RCW to read as follows:
(1) A health benefit plan offered to public employees and their covered dependents under this chapter that is issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025, must provide prescription drug coverage for glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists and other similar medications when prescribed by a health care provider for the treatment of obesity if the patient is determined to be obese or has a body mass index value of at least 27 with at least one weight-related medical condition.
(2) For the purpose of this section, "obesity" or "obese" means a body mass index value of 30 or more.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter
74.09 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The authority shall ensure that medicaid managed care organizations provide prescription drug coverage for glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists and other similar medications when prescribed by a health care provider for the treatment of obesity if the patient is determined to be obese or has a body mass index value of at least 27 with at least one weight-related medical condition.
(2) For the purpose of this section, "obesity" or "obese" means a body mass index value of 30 or more.
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