[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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],{"_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",6119016,"mediaKeyId","2715325-f5168d90684800fb242a18ad3570c5fc","parentId",2715325,"title","Committee hears bill to end deductibles for labor and delivery starting 2026","audioSeconds",2504,"startMs",0,"endMs",2504000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2715325-f5168d90684800fb242a18ad3570c5fc&start=0&end=2504","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2715325-f5168d90684800fb242a18ad3570c5fc/thumbnail_0.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6119016/Washington/Committee-hears-bill-to-end-deductibles-for-labor-and-delivery-starting-2026","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6119016-3ced38fe29eb3740e2ffe4d7ccfe1ae0/orig.mp4?Expires=1775370963&Signature=W-a9FEjP7-CW3COB7kbbJzNRfJp78plA8XXaOGEc2inbM-V39gYAcX2M7~BzNAgfmEBv5YQrA7U7xPSCn4pL5eulmxT-SC9NXQDtJpgkniy7Jy5tCYqL4jmrk~Lz71TL6KnLOjrRm5BveqPaGvqHZ4zhAAWr3KR682VF4lmV30K6ciTWmQrjTIRz50YUktbo40iRy7kGYew523iL6sfVEZ~Q50spHa2FyVWk5jO8LKjYyMoMfVrxF8YmOGsPzcNVCPfOReQADHvogMGNfKP4QsU7NXXn9rRf9ct9Y2joSXpgLXKasacz8ZDqGx5HmC3H1Pj79DhA2PuTN4iTuS~fGw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Washington Legislature","date","2025-03-20T00:00:00Z","article","Representative Alicia Rule, prime sponsor of engrossed substitute House Bill 1291, told the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee on March 20 that the bill would reduce out-of-pocket costs for pregnant people and newborns by exempting labor and delivery services from enrollee deductibles beginning in 2026.

Committee staff Greg Attanasio summarized the bill’s background, saying the 2023 legislature directed the Office of the Insurance Commissioner to analyze how plans cover maternity services and make recommendations to reduce or eliminate cost sharing. Under the bill, health plans—including plans offered to public employees—would not subject labor and delivery services to the enrollee’s deductible, and any other out-of-pocket costs paid by the enrollee for those services would be applied toward that deductible.

Jennifer Ziegler, testifying for the Association of Washington Healthcare Plans, said the association supports the policy goal of reducing financial barriers but urged more specific language about what counts as labor and delivery to allow carriers to implement the statute. Ziegler said the association provided suggested language to the sponsor and hoped for agreement on more detailed definitions.

No committee questions to the prime sponsor were recorded during the hearing. The chair temporarily set the bill aside to hear other agenda items; testimony totals recorded by staff were 18 pro, 629 con, and 1 other for the bill sign-in sheet (as announced during the hearing). The committee closed the public hearing on HB 1291 after the public testimony period.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Health & Long-Term Care - 3/20/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Representative Alicia Rule told the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee that engrossed substitute House Bill 1291 would exempt labor and delivery services from enrollee deductibles starting in 2026.","taxTitle","Health & Long Term Care, Senate, Legislative Sessions, Washington","taxId",20503,"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},6119011,"Committee hears bipartisan push to modernize state all‑payers claims database",4438,209000,4647000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2715325-f5168d90684800fb242a18ad3570c5fc&start=209&end=4647","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2715325-f5168d90684800fb242a18ad3570c5fc/thumbnail_209000.jpg","/articles/6119011/Washington/Committee-hears-bipartisan-push-to-modernize-state-allpayers-claims-database","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6119011-f631754212376be0068ecbe1019b43c9/orig.mp4?Expires=1775370963&Signature=UrUiRDzc9o~H7dFzXLMX2xugvP5DvJZNWwISuyKSTsHmW8d~41Nz3gcd4HGgwoQkU5W1PKLcXmvMLHNhldwXEXijajkqr9o6o3MfZeCZdRosOE2DjWexfqYUSMhvztgfMFDC1I8YsozndaX5DOtfgtbzuVm9qcrLYt23Tr10XTBvdXI5-W4qmLFSK-pyv29CfnFKeq2Ad5w0FXhsuRtgJCqR~qK9F8EvnBEpFGemEPcQdNsNKqdKxGFN9jo-kMLqxTlczspsTt7SFxeha2gHbaO~gnGDg5MxecND~-PyaIw72SYHwDK0WdgDCMaAbiVCy2CoxjwKp8b223mmRhkLdA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee heard engrossed House Bill 1382 on March 20. Committee staff briefed the panel that the bill would modernize the state’s all‑payers claims database (APCD) by allowing the Health Care Authority (HCA) to operate as the lead organization if a third‑party vendor is not selected, updating definitions related to proprietary financial information, and changing the frequency of the Office of Financial Management’s reporting requirement from biannually to every five years.

Representative Steve Tharinger, the bill’s prime sponsor, said the change aligns the APCD with federal transparency and coverage rules that require disclosure of negotiated rates. HCA and the Office of the Insurance Commissioner testified in support, describing ways the APCD is used to analyze prices, utilization, and to produce dashboards for policymakers and researchers. Supporters argued that making negotiated‑rate information more accessible will help employers, purchasers, researchers and communities identify outliers and design better purchasing strategies.

Opponents, including the Association of Washington Healthcare Plans and the Washington State Hospital Association, cautioned that releasing negotiated rates could create antitrust risks or a “race to the top” in pricing. Hospital and insurer witnesses suggested safeguards and asked for the ability to validate third‑party analyses; hospitals requested statutory language assuring associations access to the same datasets for verification purposes. Proponents said federal rules already require much of this information be published and that Washington should align state statute with federal transparency.

Committee staff announced the public sign‑in totals for this hearing as 27 pro, 552 con, and 3 other. No committee final action on HB 1382 was recorded in the public hearing portion of this transcript.","Senate staff and the bill’s sponsor told the Health and Long Term Care Committee that House Bill 1382 would modernize Washington’s all‑payers claims database and permit broader disclosure of negotiated payer‑provider rates in line with federal rules.",{"_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},6119006,"Committee debates supervision rules for radiologic technologists; proponents seek virtual direct supervision",4626,496000,5122000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2715325-f5168d90684800fb242a18ad3570c5fc&start=496&end=5122","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2715325-f5168d90684800fb242a18ad3570c5fc/thumbnail_496000.jpg","/articles/6119006/Washington/Committee-debates-supervision-rules-for-radiologic-technologists-proponents-seek-virtual-direct-supervision","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6119006-47f5442a485c62491efd8de33309928f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775370963&Signature=cTQ8AYdjVYKxLWN1VgFsuSatXV90z4EmEi-pvCwk~RpFh3i5n439o0iRJR~~98AlQ8wnFcP4vBHLuczAFoTb5iNmTzGYoEbvWBXjLwHmWtZzreOleU7c8HufCkTGHnFTzgPJn7~Nt9GsYQ6XvdBoYTXbbZIl367QtO6Txf5gWBZJtnbDhaMoODTBqCYlqAgzD86Bn4tKWjZQxnLSrGllUplVhBYRYt9Sf5IUluNDLQRx2E5avPtfMU3uEQtKln9n6I0vVPxwO~K5ySG0-zj~IEp02pvxZ0o16ZtER936xhig2f711HgDEwY1trD0ovLYalKLaqDjh1eJ~ijBV2NQMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Substitute House Bill 1546 was presented to the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee with staff explaining the bill adds a definition of “general supervision” and exempts IV contrast procedures from the existing direct‑supervision requirement for diagnostic, therapeutic and MRI radiologic technologists. Committee staff Rohan Bhattacharjee said the bill defines general supervision as care furnished under the overall direction of a licensed physician who need not be physically present but is on call, available for consultation, or able to respond to on‑site patient care needs; remote real‑time audiovisual supervision must comply with telemedicine rules and an appropriately trained licensed practitioner must be on‑site to manage adverse events.

Representative Leisha Partially, the prime sponsor, told the committee the bill would help address workforce shortages by enabling virtual general supervision and allow leveraging fewer radiologists to cover more sites. Radiology industry testimony showed mixed views: physician testifiers and independent radiology practices asked for a definition of “virtual direct supervision” and for language ensuring on‑site clinical staff have requisite training to handle adverse events and that physicians be within a reasonable response time, especially outside critical access exceptions. The Washington Association of Nurse Anesthesiology said it was neutral but supportive of conversations; the Washington Academy of Physician Assistants supported the version on the table and asked the committee to avoid adding time/distance limitations that could reduce access in rural areas.

Witnesses emphasized patient safety guardrails: proponents repeatedly said trained on‑site staff must be present to recognize and manage reactions to IV contrast and regulators should clarify telemedicine and supervision language. Public sign‑in tallies announced by committee staff were 4 pro, 93 con and 3 other.","Substitute House Bill 1546 would permit general (including remote) supervision for diagnostic, therapeutic and MRI radiologic technologists and exempt IV contrast procedures from the statute’s direct‑supervision requirement, subject to telemedicine compliance and on‑site trained staff.",{"_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},6119001,"Bill would subject compact‑issued physician and PA licenses to Washington’s Uniform Disciplinary Act",4538,762000,5300000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2715325-f5168d90684800fb242a18ad3570c5fc&start=762&end=5300","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2715325-f5168d90684800fb242a18ad3570c5fc/thumbnail_762000.jpg","/articles/6119001/Washington/Bill-would-subject-compactissued-physician-and-PA-licenses-to-Washingtons-Uniform-Disciplinary-Act","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6119001-a3a51c965f685ceb2a1c2c85f0f7f88f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775370963&Signature=gOCUoxfT~iuLJAk9Y-33S~00LTexitMmPQNkbeRVDQ~tGiCaa6FYI3bFlumZhmzCrhAMTYmeLrOStCQHwwasF315mtlIQbeZVCUcGEh-IZZRdaBRpxKFRT95ISw9VLBodUAAK7Bs8xjThC-0zZqXN2tu3U1djwYux2FcjePJCwHWa72sEmY6OLO4iJp4Bkegyj5-HlR2J9UUYvmd7GSWbpW82B1qIZFlBppjMq5d8sGlBio8iuAtcQ1IUVSZzdB74lH2kdjn2bLr9LNyUuWLWIT24jkag8vG64voJgjT-Im9CVq9L5UWTzmKEb1byDNeuUuwX6mMmIQECZmjM3gm1Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Committee staff described House Bill 1640 as a technical alignment to ensure licenses issued under the Medical Licensure Compact and the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact are subject to Washington’s Uniform Disciplinary Act and disciplined by the Medical Commission.

Representative Janice Zahn, prime sponsor, told the committee the change is a cleanup to ensure compact‑issued physicians and physician assistants are subject to the same disciplinary rules as other licensees. Taylor Bacharach Nixon of the Washington Medical Commission testified in support, saying the amendment fills an unintended gap and provides statutory clarity as Washington adopts interstate compact licensing to address workforce demands.

Testimony and questions were limited and the committee recorded five pro and two con sign‑ins for the public hearing (as announced). No public vote on the bill was recorded during the hearing.","House Bill 1640 would place licenses issued through the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact and the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact under the Uniform Disciplinary Act with the Medical Commission as disciplining authority; sponsor described the change as a technical cleanup to ensure consistent disciplinary coverage.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears bill to end deductibles for labor and delivery starting 2026

Committee hears bipartisan push to modernize state all‑payers claims database

Committee debates supervision rules for radiologic technologists; proponents seek virtual direct supervision

Bill would subject compact‑issued physician and PA licenses to Washington’s Uniform Disciplinary Act