Committee reviews House Bill 1505, a technical update to the state insurance code including hearing-aid coverage and public-records changes

House Bill 1505, a technical revision to Washington’s insurance code, drew a staff briefing and questions from committee members at the Consumer Protection & Business Committee meeting on Feb. 7.

Peter Clodfelter, committee staff, said the bill makes “various revisions to the insurance code” affecting public records, tax refunds, reporting requirements, motor vehicle insurance, health insurance and related items. He asked members to consult the bill analysis for full detail.

The bill would add a Public Records Act exemption for information the Office of the Insurance Commissioner obtains from “direct practice” health care providers’ annual reports, which can include counts of riders, total patients served, average fees and provider names. Clodfelter said the exemption was among the changes.

Rory Payne Donovan of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner told the committee the bill is intended mainly as a…