§ 48.43.073 — Required abortion coverage—Limitations.

Washington § 48.43.073

• Jurisdiction: Washington
• Title 48: INSURANCE
• Ch. 48.43: INSURANCE REFORM

Text

(1)(a) Except as provided in subsection (5) of this section, if a health plan issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2019, provides coverage for maternity care or services, the health plan must also provide a covered person with substantially equivalent coverage to permit the abortion of a pregnancy. Except as provided in subsection (5) of this section, if a student health plan, including student health plans deemed by the insurance commissioner to have a short-term limited purpose or duration or to be guaranteed renewable while the covered person is enrolled as a regular full-time undergraduate or graduate student at an accredited higher education institution, issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2022, provides coverage for maternity care or services, the health plan must also provide a covered person with substantially equivalent coverage to permit the abortion of a pregnancy.

(b) Except as provided in (c) of this subsection, for health plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2024, a health carrier may not impose cost sharing for abortion of a pregnancy.

(c) For a health plan that provides coverage for abortion of a pregnancy and is offered as a qualifying health plan for a health savings account, the health carrier shall establish the plan's cost sharing for the coverage required by this section at the minimum level necessary to preserve the enrollee's ability to claim tax exempt contributions and withdrawals from the enrollee's health savings account under internal revenue service laws and regulations.

(2)(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, a health plan or student health plan subject to subsection (1) of this section may not limit in any way a person's access to services related to the abortion of a pregnancy.

(b)(i) Coverage for the abortion of a pregnancy may be subject to terms and conditions generally applicable to the health plan or student health plan's coverage of maternity care or services.

(ii) A health plan or student health plan is not required to cover abortions that would be unlawful under RCW 9.02.120 .

(3) Nothing in this section may be interpreted to limit in any way an individual's constitutionally or statutorily protected right to voluntarily terminate a pregnancy.

(4) This section does not, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Sec. 18054(a)(6), apply to a multistate plan that does not provide coverage for the abortion of a pregnancy.

(5) If the application of this section to a health plan or student health plan results in noncompliance with federal requirements that are a prescribed condition to the allocation of federal funds to the state, this section is inapplicable to the plan to the minimum extent necessary for the state to be in compliance. The inapplicability of this section to a specific health plan or student health plan under this subsection does not affect the operation of this section in other circumstances.

Findings — Declarations — 2018 c 119: See note following RCW 48.43.072 .

Legislative History

[2023 c 194 s 1;2021 c 53 s 1;2018 c 119 s 3.]