SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5322
As Passed Senate, February 23, 2021
Title: An act relating to prohibiting dual enrollment between school employees' benefits board and public employees' benefits board programs.
Brief Description: Prohibiting dual enrollment between school employees' benefits board and public employees' benefits board programs.
Sponsors: Senators Robinson and Wilson, C.; by request of Health Care Authority.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Ways & Means: 1/28/21, 2/11/21 [DP].
Floor Activity: Passed Senate: 2/23/21, 48-0.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Requires an employee who is eligible for both Public Employees' Benefits Board and School Employees' Benefits Board health insurance coverage to choose coverage from the same program.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS
Majority Report: Do pass.
Signed by Senators Rolfes, Chair; Frockt, Vice Chair, Capital; Wilson, L., Ranking Member; Brown, Assistant Ranking Member, Operating; Honeyford, Assistant Ranking Member, Capital; Schoesler, Assistant Ranking Member, Capital; Braun, Carlyle, Conway, Darneille, Dhingra, Gildon, Hasegawa, Hunt, Keiser, Liias, Mullet, Muzzall, Pedersen, Rivers, Van De Wege, Wagoner, Warnick and Wellman.
Staff: Amanda Cecil (786-7460)
Background:

Healthcare benefits for all eligible school employees are provided by the School Employees' Benefits  Board (SEBB).  SEBB is responsible for determining the terms of employee and dependent eligibility and enrollment policies, subject to the condition that employees anticipated to work at least 630 hours per year qualify for coverage.  Beginning with the 2022 plan year, dual coverage under SEBB and benefits provided under the Public Employees' Benefits Board (PEBB) is prohibited for the same type of coverage.
Summary of Bill:

An employee eligible for both PEBB and SEBB health insurance coverage must choose coverage from the same program, rather than selecting some benefits from each program.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

PRO:  The current language has been interpreted to allow employees to pick mix and match coverage.  This clarifies that they must pick from one or the other.  Allowing members to pick from both programs would result in hundreds of enrollments options that every employer would have to manage and each would have to be priced.  It would be impossible to administer. 
 
OTHER:  Prior to the creation of SEBB, spouses were able to have dual coverage and many employees would like to have that option back.  Both boards will continue to look at how that can be accomplished. 
Persons Testifying: PRO: David Iseminger, Health Care Authority.
OTHER: Julie Salvi, Washington Education Association.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.