WASHINGTON EDITION
Legislative Update
The Washington legislature adjourned the
2006 regular session on March 8. The session
was marked by issues including retainer medicine,
prostate cancer screening, and numerous bills
concerning the individual insurance market.
Throughout the interim, the Office of Insurance
Commissioner is expected to continue their
deliberations with their working group on
market analysis.
The following bills failed during the session:
- HB 2398: allowed the
Basic Health Plan to send its highest risk
non-subsidized enrollees to the Washington
State Health Insurance Pool;
- HB 2404: authorized
retainer (or “concierge”) medicine;
- HB 2473: regulated the
transparency of the pharmacy benefits management
(PBM) industry and required PBMs to serve
in a fiduciary capacity;
- HB 2540: originally
adjusted membership for the Washington
State Health Insurance Pool’s Board;
- HB 2942: established
an Any Willing Provider provision for any
carrier whose share of the market place
exceeds 40%;
- HB 2943: mandated coverage
for chiropractors and licensed massage
therapists;
- HB 2944: established
a locum tenens provision;
- HB 3310: required health
plans to provide coverage for unmarried
children up to 25 years old and for veterans
30 years old;
- HB 2632: repealed the
cap on the number of insurance policies
supported by the human immunodeficiency
syndrome insurance program in the state
health insurance pool.
Governor Christine Gregoire (D) signed the
following bills:
- HB 2500: requires
additional data to be reported each year
to the Insurance Commissioner. The industry
successfully worked to have the bill amended
to include language requiring the commissioner
to work with disability insurers to use,
as much as possible, information from the
annual statement forms already filed with
the OIC; and
- HB 2972: authorizes
associations in the state’s small
group market.
Lastly, SB 6188, mandating
coverage for prostate cancer screening, passed
both chambers and awaits action from the
governor.
LOCAL SPOTLIGHT
Where We Are
Washington business is managed out of our Seattle,
Washington office:
CIGNA HealthCare
701 5th Avenue, Suite 4900
Seattle, WA 98104
Telephone: 206.625.8892
Fax: 206.625.8880
Who to Contact
Ed Eberhard
206.625.8886
Edwin.Eberhard@cigna.com
Experienced Local Leadership
Daryl W. Edmonds, President
and General Manager
Daryl Edmonds joined CIGNA HealthCare, as president
and general manager of the Colorado health plan,
in 1997. Responsible for sales and operations,
Edmonds has led his management team into the 21st
century as one of the only managed care organizations
in the state to achieve profitability and maintain
steady growth for the past eight consecutive years. Edmonds
is President and Market Leader for Colorado, New
Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Alaska,
Washington and Oregon.
Edmonds, who has 19 years experience overseeing
health plans, is a graduate of Kansas State University
with a Bachelor of Science degree in business. He
is active in the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce;
serves on the board of directors of the March of
Dimes as well as Cover Colorado and was a past board
member of Junior Achievement; was past president
of the Colorado Association of Health Plans; and
serves on the Business Council on Healthcare Competition.
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