HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1838

                       As Passed House

                        March 8, 1993

Title:  An act relating to minimum standards for benefits in medicare supplement insurance.

Brief Description:  Requiring minimum standards for benefits in medicare supplement insurance.

Sponsors:  Representatives R. Johnson, Mielke, R. Meyers, Rayburn, King, Kremen and Holm; by request of Insurance Commissioner.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Financial Institutions & Insurance, February 17, 1993, DP;

  Passed House, March 8, 1993, 97-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS & INSURANCE

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 15 members:  Representatives Zellinsky, Chair; Scott, Vice Chair; Mielke, Ranking Minority Member; Dyer, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Anderson; Dellwo; Dorn; Grant; R. Johnson; Kessler; Kremen; Lemmon; R. Meyers; Reams; and Schmidt.

Staff:  John Conniff (786-7119).

Background:  Last year, the Legislature amended the medicare supplemental health insurance statute to conform to changes required by the federal Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (OBRA).  The act contained provisions regulating medicare supplemental health insurance.  OBRA required states to adopt regulations conforming to federal requirements or risk federal regulation of medicare supplement policies in the non-conforming state.  The secretary of Health and Human Services conditionally certified Washington's medicare supplemental health insurance regulations as meeting federal standards.  The certification was conditioned on the state's adoption of an amendment to state law that would remove a provision that ties required consumer disclosures to the consumer's age.

Summary of Bill:  The state medicare supplemental health insurance regulatory statute is amended to repeal a provision that ties required consumer disclosures to the consumer's age.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This change in the medicare supplemental health insurance law is necessary to conform to federal law.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Melodie Bankers, Insurance Commissioner's Office (Pro).