HB 1392 Washington House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Creating the medicaid access program.

House Bill 1392 establishes the Medicaid Access Program in Washington state, directly affecting health carriers and Medicaid managed care organizations. The bill implements an annual "covered lives assessment" on these entities, with specific per-member-per-month rates, to fund the program. Implementation of these assessments and the program is conditional upon federal approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, along with state appropriation certifications and contract amendments.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

House Passage

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

Signed into Law

May 2025

Introduced Jan 20, 2025 Signed May 19, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Substitute Bill → Substitute Passed Legislature · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill was amended to lower the annual health assessment fees for insurance companies and managed care organizations, reducing the cap on how many patients are counted for these fees. The changes also adjust how professional service rates are calculated to better match Medicare rates and increase funding for school-based health services. Additionally, the bill's expiration timeline was extended, and the authority was required to notify stakeholders if the federal government rejects the plan.

Scope change

The bill's financial scope was reduced by lowering the assessment thresholds and fees, while the timeline scope was extended to allow more time for federal approval.

FISCAL

The per-member-per-month assessment fee for Medicaid managed care organizations was reduced from $18 to $16.

The maximum number of member months subject to the assessment was lowered from 3,000,000 to 2,300,000 for both managed care organizations and health carriers.

Funding for school-based health services was increased to a maximum of $2,000,000, replacing a specific $35,991,000 allocation for general Medicaid services.

REQUIREMENT

The method for calculating assessment rates was updated to use the Medicare Economic Index for professional services instead of a fixed rate increase.

The bill now explicitly includes vision services in the list of professional services eligible for rate increases.

TIMELINE

The expiration clause was updated to require written notice to stakeholders if the federal government does not approve the plan by January 1, 2027.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 14, 2025 · House Apr 19, 2025

How they voted

33–18

Passed

Total votes 51

Apr 14, 2025

D Democratic31

31 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican20

2 Yea 18 Nay

90% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 19, 2025

Signed into law

Governor signed.

executive

Apr 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

President signed.

upper

Apr 22, 2025

Lower · Passed

Speaker signed.

lower

Apr 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed final passage; yeas, 57; nays, 38; absent, 0; excused, 3.

lower

Apr 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

House concurred in Senate amendments.

lower

Apr 14, 2025

Upper · Passed

Committee amendment(s) adopted as amended.

upper

Apr 14, 2025

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (33-18)

senate

Apr 7, 2025

Upper · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

upper

Apr 7, 2025

Upper · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

upper

Apr 7, 2025

Upper · Passed

WM - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).

upper

Apr 7, 2025

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.

upper

Apr 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.

upper

Feb 28, 2025

Committee

Referred to Rules 2 Review.

lower

Feb 27, 2025

Lower · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

lower

Feb 27, 2025

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations at 9:00 AM.

lower

Feb 13, 2025

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 4:00 PM.

lower

1 primary · 23 co-sponsors