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

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.