Washington became the first state to pass legislation requiring health insurers provide “grace period” notification after the governor confirmed his approval of Sen. Ann Rivers’ bill at the official bill signing Thursday.
Rivers’ work to correct an inefficiency caused by the Affordable Care Act and Health Care Exchange resulted in Senate Bill 6016. The bill requires that health insurers notify patients and health care providers when a patient has entered the 90-day “grace period,” which is offered to patients who are insured by a qualified health plan through the Exchange but have failed to pay their premium.
Additionally, even though a patient within the grace period is still eligible to receive care, the bill requires that the patient receives notice about alternatives for coverage so that they aren’t stuck with unpaid medical bills since the insurance company is only responsible for payment during the first 30 days of the grace period.