Washington House Bill HB1577

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/24/25
• Refer: 1/24/25

Caption

AN ACT Relating to the provision of palliative care services by volunteer organizations that provide hospice care without compensation;

Summary

HB 1577 directs the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner, in consultation with the Health Care Authority, to convene a work group to design the parameters of a palliative care benefit and payment model for fully insured health plans. The work group is also required to coordinate with existing state efforts to design a palliative care benefit for Medicaid and the Public Employees Benefits Board/School Employees Benefits Board programs. Its charge includes examining clinical eligibility criteria, covered services, staffing and provider training, evaluation and reporting requirements, and payment models. The bill specifically requires that any recommendations allow volunteer organizations that provide hospice care without compensation to continue providing palliative care without having to meet the full requirements of the proposed benefit or obtain a license to provide palliative care services. The work group may also use a vendor for actuarial analysis if needed, must include a broad set of stakeholders from state agencies, insurers, hospitals, health plans, hospice and palliative care providers, nurses, and volunteer hospice organizations, and must report recommendations to the Legislature by November 1, 2024. The section is temporary and expires June 30, 2025.

Impact

The bill does not immediately create a new insurance benefit or change reimbursement rules by itself; instead, it establishes a formal stakeholder process to develop future policy for palliative care coverage in fully insured plans and to align that work with Medicaid and state employee benefit programs. It also preserves the ability of uncompensated volunteer hospice organizations to provide palliative care without being subject to the proposed benefit standards or licensure requirements. Because the act is temporary and expires in 2025, its direct legal effect is limited to convening the work group and producing recommendations for later legislative or administrative action.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears generally supportive of expanding access to palliative care while being careful not to disrupt volunteer hospice organizations. The inclusion of a broad, multi-sector work group suggests an effort to build consensus and develop a practical framework rather than impose immediate mandates. No committee transcript or vote record is available here, so there is no documented opposition or recorded vote sentiment in the provided materials.

Contention

The main policy tension is between creating a standardized palliative care benefit for insured populations and preserving flexibility for volunteer hospice organizations that provide care without compensation. The bill explicitly addresses that concern by exempting those organizations from having to meet the new benefit’s requirements or obtain a palliative care license. Another likely point of discussion is how the benefit would be financed and administered, since the work group must consider payment models and may need actuarial analysis, but no specific objections or amendments are shown in the available record.