WashingtonMental health program fees can cover outside administration costs
The Health Care Authority can charge health insurers and other health coverage providers for reasonable costs of an outside contractor managing their program fees.
What it does
Health coverage providers’ program fees can include reasonable costs of an outside contractor managing those fees. The state agency’s other program administration costs cannot be included.
Argument forCovering reasonable contractor costs through program fees could help the agency pay for calculating and managing those charges.
Argument againstIncluding contractor costs could require health coverage providers to pay for managing the fees as well as operating the programs.
More detail
The Health Care Authority may include reasonable costs of a contractor managing program fees in the amounts it charges health coverage providers. The fees apply to health insurers, employer health plans, and other health coverage providers in Washington that help fund the listed mental health consultation and skills training programs. Only reasonable costs of administering the fees through an outside contractor may be included. The agency’s other costs of administering the programs cannot be included. The charges exclude coverage under the agency’s Medicaid managed care contracts. The law took effect June 11, 2026.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 16Effective date 6/11/2026.Latest
- Mar 16Chapter 58, 2026 Laws.Major
- Mar 16Governor Bob Ferguson signed.Became Law
- Mar 10Delivered to Governor.To Governor
- Mar 9President signed.Passed Senate
- Mar 6Speaker signed.Passed House
- Mar 4Third reading, passed; yeas, 49; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 0.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#29). Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 4Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.Minor
- Mar 3Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.Minor
- Mar 2Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- Mar 2WM - Majority; do pass.Minor
- Mar 2Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 10:30 AM.
- Feb 19Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 4:00 PM.
- Feb 12First reading, referred to Ways & Means.Minor
- Feb 10Third reading, passed; yeas, 96; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 2.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#24). Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 10Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.Minor
- Feb 6Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.Minor
- Jan 30Referred to Rules 2 Review.Minor
- Jan 28APP - Majority; do pass.Minor
- Jan 28Executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations at 4:00 PM.
- Jan 19Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 4:00 PM.
- Jan 12First reading, referred to Appropriations.Minor
- Jan 5Prefiled for introduction.Introduced
HealthcareMental Health