May 19, 2015
On May 11, 2015, Gov. Inslee signed SB 5557 into law, creating Chapter 237. The new law makes Washington the first state in the country to require that pharmacists be included in health insurance provider networks. This means pharmacists will be included in provider networks and that certain health care services will not be denied for services performed by a pharmacist. The next step is for an advisory committee to create standards for credentialing, privileging, billing and payment of pharmacists. The law does not require action on the part of employers, but they should be aware of the change since fully insured group health plans issued in Washington will be affected by the new enhanced coverage requirements. The law is effective July 24, 2015, but includes various implementation dates for insurers to include pharmacists in networks. The law will be fully effective by Jan. 1, 2017.
Chapter 237 »