Bill > HB2351

This bill establishes the essential worker health care program to help provide nursing home and assisted living workers in Washington with high-quality, affordable health coverage. The key provisions are: 1. The program provides supplemental payments to participating nursing home employers that commit to offering their employees health coverage through a certified multiemployer, self-funded health plan (qualified health fund). 2. The qualified health fund must meet certain requirements, including offering benefits equivalent to an Affordable Care Act platinum plan, providing substantive employee input on plan design, and demonstrating compliance with program rules. 3. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner can revoke the qualified health fund certification or terminate participating employers for noncompliance, and recoup any supplemental payments made during periods of noncompliance. 4. The bill also amends existing law to allow the Insurance Commissioner to issue certificates of authority to self-funded multiple employer welfare arrangements that meet the requirements of the essential worker health care program.