Bill > HB2658

This bill, titled the "Truth in Mental Health Coverage Act," aims to improve access to mental health and substance use disorder services by requiring health insurance carriers to report detailed data on coverage and access. The legislation stems from findings that Washington residents have significantly more difficulty accessing in-network mental health and substance use services compared to medical and surgical services, with out-of-network rates being much higher and reimbursement rates for behavioral health clinicians being lower, discouraging them from joining insurance networks. To address this, carriers must annually submit data to the commissioner, which is the state's insurance regulator, on various aspects of care, including utilization reviews, out-of-network rates, in-network reimbursement, provider availability, and network admission times, disaggregated by service type, age group (youth and adult), and delivery method (in-person and telehealth). This data will be used to create a public dashboard, making information on coverage and access easily accessible to consumers and employers, and will be subject to specific data suppression standards to protect individual privacy. The bill also defines key terms like "medical and surgical services," "mental health disorder services," and "substance use disorder services" to ensure clarity in reporting.

Health and Social Services

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2658&Year=2025&Initiative=false