[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6366099,"mediaKeyId","2159663-60855fc1f9845f90da4db93431aad194","parentId",2159663,"title","House committee reviews bill requiring standard consumer notice for ambulance bills after crashes","audioSeconds",604,"startMs",1072000,"endMs",468000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159663-60855fc1f9845f90da4db93431aad194&start=1072&end=468","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159663-60855fc1f9845f90da4db93431aad194/thumbnail_1072000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6366099/Washington/House-committee-reviews-bill-requiring-standard-consumer-notice-for-ambulance-bills-after-crashes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6366099-15238cf16045ffff85863979bece6ca4/orig.mp4?Expires=1772072999&Signature=D-jeeGq4dfF16~jokEHQ6nW-4B4kCdXJaD2xw18maFcx~7G--Mll2FuN3QC4HxvR1GGzZr1MAGkaGdedm8FJzUDtnBjp6WegM~Pd2C8Qjm9H0zX46bUr7wSWxjHq~PRcnNUazS70aGX4R5jg5ZcSv5~020Y2Yo~Yegm2i52LIN-ElF5WyP8gO-gwOU-ZF27V3vsY6EM7CmuQgcFNcPWY93u3obg8W89-pEXAUac80Scyi-QjMbzZs4L9lAJ-t3tMM57OkghudGQj4E9gzBnyuPz1KJO4SAx7V5ZA-GedVUK3T9SAg6IUcA76-WdH~rb81GskgBebyCpFILXfuIhtgA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House Health Care & Wellness","date","2025-01-28T00:00:00Z","article","House Health Care & Wellness Committee heard public testimony Wednesday on House Bill 1187, which would require the Washington State Department of Health, in consultation with the Office of the Insurance Commissioner and other stakeholders, to develop a standard consumer notice about ambulance billing after motor vehicle accidents by Jan. 1, 2026.

The bill would require ambulance services, including ground and air ambulances, to attempt to collect auto, personal injury and relevant health insurance information at the time of transport and to provide the DOH-created consumer notice at transport or within 60 days. If insurers are identified later, ambulance services must bill the insurer or the patient within 60 days of obtaining the information.

Supporters said the notice would help people confronted with unexpected bills after crashes. Sydney Regala, health policy analyst at the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, said OIC “supports the consumer protection elements and the education components of this bill” and recommended using the enforcement model developed for the Balance Billing Protection Act.

Representative Cindy Ryu, the bill’s prime sponsor, described a personal experience she said motivated the bill: “I was surprised with the collection notice 6 months later without ever having received the bill.” Ryu said she worked with agency staff during the interim to develop the proposal and invited committee members to stakeholder meetings with ambulance and firefighter associations.

Ambulance and fire-service groups testified in opposition or with concerns about operational impacts. Mike Battis, president of the Washington Ambulance Association and director of Ballard Ambulance in Wenatchee, said his association is opposed because requiring crews to gather extra insurance details at crash scenes could undermine patient care. “When we’re out dealing with emergencies, our primary task…has to be taking care of patients,” Battis said, adding that “it kind of reverses that order” if crews must act as billing agents.

Sean Ford, EMS section chair for the Washington Fire Chiefs Association and EMS division chief for the Camas Fire Department, raised similar operational concerns and questioned adding another written notice at the time of service. “We already have two other notices we have to provide a patient at the time of service,” he said, noting that handing multiple documents to people at the scene of an accident may not be effective.

OIC staff and ambulance groups said providers generally try to collect insurance data during transport or afterward via coordination with hospitals and their billing departments; Battis said many ambulance services promptly forward records to billing so claims are filed within days when information is available. OIC noted it will continue stakeholder discussions, including an advisory group that met during work on last year’s ground ambulance balance-billing legislation (SSB 5986).

The committee took testimony and closed the public hearing; no formal amendments or votes were recorded in the hearing transcript. The bill text sets the DOH deadline of Jan. 1, 2026, and the 60-day timing requirements for notices and billing.

Questions and further stakeholder work focused on practical implementation: when and how crews could collect insurance information without compromising emergency care, how hospitals and billing departments would assist, and how the notice and enforcement approach would mirror the Balance Billing Protection Act. The committee did not vote on HB 1187 during this hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Health Care & Wellness - 1/28/2025 1:30 PM","oneSentenceSummary","House Health Care & Wellness Committee heard public testimony Wednesday on House Bill 1187, which would require the Washington State Department of Health, in consultation with the Office of the Insurance Commissioner and other stakeholders, to develop a standard consumer notice about ambulance billing after motor vehicle accidents by Jan. 1, 2026.","taxTitle","Health Care & Wellness, House of Representatives, Legislative Sessions, Washington","taxId",20262,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6366085,"Panel debates removing ‘proprietary financial information’ restriction from Washington’s all-payer claims database",223,1885000,2108000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159663-60855fc1f9845f90da4db93431aad194&start=1885&end=2108","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159663-60855fc1f9845f90da4db93431aad194/thumbnail_1885000.jpg","/articles/6366085/Washington/Panel-debates-removing-proprietary-financial-information-restriction-from-Washingtons-all-payer-claims-database","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6366085-cd43eea3c09f493bbc6bdcda2919cea5/orig.mp4?Expires=1772072999&Signature=Pg2zNEgz~OeD-ZXcUjMTmmVJ8gNonUDb12XpOayaf0MkxgUzgsNyN1k9sScpkVjS0VoGUiJNWQ37g1Eed8iDYfdO7I-zg2jGj7AwkvC0SL~GjLz-WnGSbAFfouyi-cXwvaCyaZoc503YS-I2pS8lkCp-wF3fFVgfUEx2KxVoFTZiggk6GtEC9ErlLfBUDnwsgC1UV8WCSy3lJxkVE3SvoQ2e-XyiQ61wJk7goJxHdAyay~5vVcLJG5eEA~g72cq5oLGTIJf9I~SpikebsYp76aWMf7lrIQxh-sLZhK8xKHfE5Y1gY3PnEQI8-g0VkAp13I~IOGDuwZRwpDWLIunp1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Health Care & Wellness Committee members heard testimony on House Bill 1382, which would amend Washington’s all-payer claims database (APCD) statutes to remove references to “proprietary financial information,” align state law with federal price-transparency rules and broaden permissible reporting and use of claims data. The bill also allows, but does not require, the Health Care Authority to act as lead organization for the APCD and changes the Office of Financial Management’s reporting interval from biennial to every five years.

Staff explained that the APCD collects claims and paid-amount data and that existing statute restricts public use of reports that could “drive negotiated rates” because of the proprietary-information designation. Emily Pool, committee staff, said HB 1382 would remove those statutory restrictions so reports and analytics could better inform purchasers and policy makers.

Agency and transparency advocates supported the change. Evan Klein, special assistant for legislative and policy affairs at the Health Care Authority, said federal rulemaking and executive actions have increased public availability of negotiated rates and that the APCD already captures paid amounts; aligning state statute with federal policy would increase the APCD’s usefulness to smaller purchasers and policymakers who lack resources to use machine-readable federal files. Jane Beyer of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner said OIC has relied on the APCD for cost-driver and mental-health analyses and would like authority to report carrier-specific information where consistent with statute’s goals.

Patient-advocacy groups urged broader transparency. Emily Bryce of Northwest Health Law Advocates testified the APCD is a “critical tool” and that removing antiquated restrictions would help patients and purchasers access the negotiated prices that drive affordability.

Hospitals and health-plan associations urged caution and requested preserves for fair competition and data protections. Peggy Lewis Fu of the Association of Washington Health Care Plans warned that federal rules “balance transparency with protecting sensitive financial data” and said removing state protections could expose sensitive contract terms and increase risk of market manipulation. Katie Cohen of the Washington State Hospital Association said 2014 legislation intentionally restricted use of proprietary data for procurement and payment policy and urged removing procurement uses from the bill and ensuring equitable and affordable data-access fees for affected providers and organizations.

The committee received testimony on both the transparency benefits and the competitive risks; witnesses agreed the APCD remains a valuable analytic tool. The hearing closed with no recorded vote or amendment in the transcript.","House Bill 1382 would remove statutory references to “proprietary financial information” in Washington’s all-payer claims database law and align state rules with federal price-transparency requirements to expand permissible reporting of negotiated rates and paid amounts.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6366090,"Bill would require annual primary-care spending reports from health carriers to align state measurements",266,1548000,1814000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159663-60855fc1f9845f90da4db93431aad194&start=1548&end=1814","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159663-60855fc1f9845f90da4db93431aad194/thumbnail_1548000.jpg","/articles/6366090/Washington/Bill-would-require-annual-primary-care-spending-reports-from-health-carriers-to-align-state-measurements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6366090-3f33de93e91483e7a11f880c0ccae23c/orig.mp4?Expires=1772072999&Signature=kx6wfscrM0zKxwPtkrXKw-6uynMdhXJi9M5aX-7gMqfn8VzL2qeyXdyTe91n-sonB2rFyFrIv1-l~d7-akJNYlnaKYuZrgDNJU4JmIGoeWoNpCf~5q~vGygG-cm-JTLDxqixyOVpNFLOuDUp-GwUeUxLEzRF7S3sEOzk37eiXgLbXTdemHfNEoxI~MeFYAIUuktVmEW8sj-9QajfQNJ3aAho-roFTdcZWxXz1~kGcbCR~ynUoCYqbQ9cWFfb2O3z4s2tM~zS8DxOvEEbdJzAfWqgYWjtrNSGNA~2app8tWdiHK1AmbtIbkl0D-vCFQ1AJ3wXye7BbQGPhBFb8-Peig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Health Care & Wellness Committee received testimony on House Bill 1379, a technical bill that would allow the Office of the Insurance Commissioner to require health carriers to annually report primary-care expenditure data using definitions developed by the Health Care Cost Transparency Board and the Health Care Authority.

Representative Debra Lekanoff, prime sponsor and vice chair, described the bill as a technical cleanup to ensure consistent measurement across state agencies and to help the state track primary-care utilization and spending over time. “Consistent reporting across all commercial health carriers will allow the state to better monitor changes in expenditures over time and across markets,” Lekanoff said.

Nico Janssen of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner testified the change addresses a technical challenge: current authority is tied to insurer rate-and-form filings, which do not cover all insurance markets OIC oversees. The bill would allow OIC to require annual reports of primary-care spending and make the information public to support the state’s goal of devoting 12% of health-care spending to primary care (a target established in prior legislation).

OIC and HCA witnesses said consistent data will help track progress toward the 12% primary-care spending benchmark and enable analysis of utilization patterns across markets. No opposition was recorded in the hearing; testimony framed the measure as a statutory alignment and reporting improvement. The committee closed public testimony on the bill with no recorded vote in the transcript.","House Bill 1379 would give the Office of the Insurance Commissioner authority to require annual reporting of primary care expenditures from health carriers, aligning OIC reporting with the Health Care Authority’s definition and supporting the state’s primary-care spending target.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6366094,"Committee considers removing deductibles for labor-and-delivery services starting 2026",178,942000,1120000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159663-60855fc1f9845f90da4db93431aad194&start=942&end=1120","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159663-60855fc1f9845f90da4db93431aad194/thumbnail_942000.jpg","/articles/6366094/Washington/Committee-considers-removing-deductibles-for-labor-and-delivery-services-starting-2026","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6366094-77f8179b5c294f5f47c64c5e2775783c/orig.mp4?Expires=1772072999&Signature=hYETWiRZrI6xXeXktJrEYo6GKqP19prXByT3wx~KTpkA76V8I~ia9CUThMxrHT76ufThZFxaA1cjaO-Q4cBKQnez5oLtXYOeATwpMZkuG61K-o85fFJzvfOlBbe3Upj~bWPH6YjoBmhLQcONQ12rTn4jpeSH6Tn-hWtMgdxY66lpiJNLyDRs5e9yyZsf64ZYawnCfDOW-ykxtAVYbTB1T2HhxjWyMHL1BVLfjSeVg3QzvjbjdHKkoq-DCYCI3a4mGo32cSE3MDsXeR7SmJsnmDMg4~72CaGqt7bepsLOy4DkuOh9UPNh3xk2ERb~alpacYWYz-TLMw4xTdDi07cpyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Health Care & Wellness Committee heard testimony on House Bill 1291, a measure that would require health plans issued or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2026, to cover labor-and-delivery services before an enrollee meets the plan deductible. Any cost-sharing payments an enrollee makes for those services would still be applied to the enrollee’s deductible, and high-deductible health plans must set the deductible at the minimum level necessary to preserve Health Savings Account tax treatment.

Kim Weidner, committee staff, summarized the bill and its legislative background, noting a 2023 OIC-directed actuarial analysis by Milliman that produced five options to eliminate cost sharing for maternity care. Widespread testimony framed the bill as intended to reduce financial barriers to childbirth and improve maternal and infant outcomes.

Representative Alicia Ruehl, prime sponsor, described personal experience with long-term bills after childbirth and said the measure would help many families. “Having a baby in this country and particularly in Washington state is very, very expensive,” Ruehl said. She told the committee she took eight years to pay off bills after her last child’s birth and said removing the deductible for maternity care would improve health outcomes and financial stability for families.

Health-plan and employer representatives urged caution and asked for clearer scope language. Peggy Lewis Fu, executive director of the Association of Washington Health Care Plans, testified that removing or reclassifying cost sharing changes fiscal dynamics; she urged the committee to consider cumulative impacts of multiple cost-sharing bills and recommended clarifying that the bill apply only to in-network providers and align with billing codes for labor-and-delivery services. Lewis Fu noted that allowing copays and coinsurance to count toward deductibles can accelerate when enrollees hit deductible thresholds, shifting coverage of other services earlier in the year.

Patient advocates and clinicians testified in favor. Katherine Lewandowski, a registered nurse with Whole Washington (testifying remotely), called the bill a “nice stopgap” while urging broader reforms such as a state Health Trust proposed in another bill. Testimony highlighted the cost burdens families face, the role of deductibles and high out-of-pocket costs, and the need to evaluate cumulative fiscal impacts.

Committee members questioned tradeoffs with other non-negotiable services such as stroke or cancer care and asked where costs would be borne—through premiums, employer contributions, or plan design changes. Representative Caldier asked whether costs should be shifted to monthly premiums; Ruehl said the committee must weigh priorities and work together on tradeoffs.

The hearing was limited to testimony; no committee vote or amendment was recorded in the transcript. The bill’s effective date language in the staff summary states the plan changes apply to health plans issued or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2026.","House Bill 1291 would require health plans issued or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2026, to cover labor-and-delivery services without applying the enrollee deductible, while any enrollee cost-sharing payments must count toward the deductible; health plans that are high-deductible must preserve HSA eligibility.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6366080,"Committee hears testimony supporting separate Medicaid payment for rapid whole-genome sequencing for infants in intensive care",310,2760000,3070000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159663-60855fc1f9845f90da4db93431aad194&start=2760&end=3070","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159663-60855fc1f9845f90da4db93431aad194/thumbnail_2760000.jpg","/articles/6366080/Washington/Committee-hears-testimony-supporting-separate-Medicaid-payment-for-rapid-whole-genome-sequencing-for-infants-in-intensive-care","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6366080-eab942082eaa2010052d0fd5dfaf4b69/orig.mp4?Expires=1772072999&Signature=dX90pCb5BwmqI4BYV2b1mLbQbi8UP2RbatYr8X7xjzce0s~E8HpT8C7GL9AoEQHSkaXm52fxCfZCq00oQlYv-c6XCRmjCAAWJRt74a0Ck2BOF92LfZ16GvxvV3CMkwh8OaCZmP7c0hhz5fRVz2JQm3v4hiv9DwJjoFaPQPZllKjvK7MmvtADJa1VZDyBlusytqipzBlUwOqX~vmFqavWmtE5ReRcGt3Ns~4yJTaixdrAfpAETv7LXD6b5NqrqcMPX4mMJsaEpeGIw30XCtk4l24k3XC3Sco9bKIEBYrw-lUeiidtLiqcJfnEb2EB~z8uXDAtN5XKCY6MFzGYogApfA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Health Care & Wellness Committee heard testimony on House Bill 1444, which would require Medicaid to pay separately for rapid whole-genome sequencing for enrollees under age 1 who are receiving hospital services in an intensive care unit, neonatal unit or a high-acuity pediatric care unit and who meet the bill’s specified criteria.

Committee staff described current Medicaid practice: rapid whole-genome sequencing is covered as part of bundled inpatient payments. The bill would unbundle sequencing reimbursement so the test is reimbursed separately for eligible infants.

Representative (prime sponsor) introduced the bill as a measure to shorten the diagnostic odyssey for infants with suspected genetic conditions and to enable counseling and targeted care. She told the committee that advances in genomic testing have made rapid whole-genome sequencing more affordable and that separate reimbursement would ensure access and appropriate pre- and post-test counseling.

Families and clinicians testified in support with personal accounts of early diagnosis and clinical benefit. Lindsay Topping Shoots (testifying in place of a remote panelist) described receiving a prenatal genetic diagnosis at 27 weeks for her son and said that early diagnosis “saved both his life and mine,” while urging the legislature to extend access to others. She testified that while rare diseases are each uncommon, the community is large—testimony cited an estimate of roughly 780,000 Washingtonians affected by rare disease and about 520,858 children among them, with an assertion that 30% of affected children will not live to age five.

Michelle Hagerstrom, a nurse manager at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, said rapid genome sequencing can prevent invasive diagnostic procedures and enable earlier targeted interventions; she said studies show early diagnosis can offset initial sequencing costs through avoided procedures and improved outcomes. Sarah Tompkins, a rare-disease patient and advocate, described years of delayed diagnosis and multiple surgeries that could have been reduced with earlier genetic testing.

Proponents emphasized counseling before and after testing and argued unbundling would allow clinicians to order sequencing when medically indicated without the hospital absorption of test costs under bundled payments. No opposition was recorded in the hearing transcript; the committee closed the public hearing with no recorded vote.","House Bill 1444 would require Medicaid to cover rapid whole-genome sequencing separately from bundled inpatient payments for enrollees under age 1 in intensive care, neonatal or high-acuity pediatric units when specified criteria are met; advocates and clinicians said early diagnosis improves outcomes and can reduce unnecessary interventions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

House committee reviews bill requiring standard consumer notice for ambulance bills after crashes

Panel debates removing ‘proprietary financial information’ restriction from Washington’s all-payer claims database

Bill would require annual primary-care spending reports from health carriers to align state measurements

Committee considers removing deductibles for labor-and-delivery services starting 2026

Committee hears testimony supporting separate Medicaid payment for rapid whole-genome sequencing for infants in intensive care