The bill seeks to improve access to mental health and substance use disorder services in Washington by updating the state's mental health parity law. It emphasizes the necessity for health insurance coverage for these services and mandates that medical necessity determinations align with accepted standards of care. Key provisions include the requirement for health plans to cover medically necessary services, adherence to the mental health parity and addiction equity act, and the prohibition of differing prior authorization standards among providers. The bill also introduces penalties for health carriers that do not comply with these requirements and mandates transparency through nonquantitative treatment limitation analyses upon request.

Additionally, the bill establishes new regulations for the prior authorization process, effective January 1, 2024, requiring health carriers to adhere to specific time frames for determinations and maintain an interoperable electronic process for requests. It also repeals several existing laws related to mental health service coverage, effective January 1, 2027, and allows the insurance commissioner to adopt necessary rules for implementation. Notably, the bill includes a provision that renders it null and void if specific funding is not provided by June 30, 2025. Overall, the legislation aims to streamline processes, enhance transparency, and ensure equitable access to mental health and substance use disorder services.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 48.43.016, 48.43.091, 48.43.410, 48.43.520, 48.43.535, 48.43.761, 48.43.830
Substitute Bill: 48.43.016, 48.43.410, 48.43.520, 48.43.530, 48.43.535, 48.43.600, 48.43.761, 48.43.830
Second Substitute: 48.43.016, 48.43.410, 48.43.520, 48.43.530, 48.43.535, 48.43.600, 48.43.761, 48.43.830
Engrossed Second Substitute: 48.43.016, 48.43.410, 48.43.520, 48.43.530, 48.43.535, 48.43.600, 48.43.830