§ 48.43.076 — Digital breast examinations—Cost sharing.

Washington § 48.43.076

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

Text

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, for nongrandfathered health plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2024, that include coverage of supplemental breast examinations and diagnostic breast examinations, health carriers may not impose cost sharing for such examinations.

(2) For a health plan that provides coverage of supplemental breast examinations and diagnostic breast examinations 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 of the services described in this section at the minimum level necessary to preserve the enrollee's ability to claim tax exempt contributions from their health savings account under internal revenue service laws and regulations.

(3) For purposes of this section:

(a) "Diagnostic breast examination" means a medically necessary and appropriate examination of the breast, including an examination using diagnostic mammography, digital breast tomosynthesis, also called three dimensional mammography, breast magnetic resonance imaging, or breast ultrasound, that is used to evaluate an abnormality:

(i) Seen or suspected from a screening examination for breast cancer; or

(ii) Detected by another means of examination.

(b) "Supplemental breast examination" means a medically necessary and appropriate examination of the breast, including an examination using breast magnetic resonance imaging or breast ultrasound, that is:

(i) Used to screen for breast cancer when there is no abnormality seen or suspected; and

(ii) Based on personal or family medical history, or additional factors that may increase the individual's risk of breast cancer.

Intent — 2023 c 366: "(1) In 1989 the legislature enacted Substitute House Bill No. 1074 requiring disability insurers, group disability insurers, health care service contractors, health maintenance organizations, and plans offered to public employees that provide benefits for hospital or medical care to provide benefits for screening and diagnostic mammography services.

(2) In 2010 the United States congress enacted the patient protection and affordable care act, which required coverage of certain preventative care services including screening mammograms with no cost sharing.

(3) In 2013 the Washington state office of the insurance commissioner adopted rules establishing the essential health benefits benchmark plan, which listed diagnostic and screening mammogram services as state benefit requirements under preventative and wellness services.

(4) In 2018 the legislature enacted Senate Bill No. 5912 which directed the office of the insurance commissioner to clarify that the existing mandates for mammography included coverage for tomosynthesis, also known as three-dimensional mammography, under the same terms and conditions allowed for mammography.

(5) The legislature intends to establish that the requirements for coverage of mammography services predated the affordable care act and are already included in the state's essential health benefits benchmark plan. Furthermore, the legislature intends to prohibit cost sharing for certain types of breast examinations." [ 2023 c 366 s 1 .]

Legislative History

[2023 c 366 s 2.]