H-0337.1
HOUSE BILL 1535
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Thai, Marshall, Parshley, Caldier, Nance, Richards, Walen, Connors, Davis, Rule, Reeves, Morgan, Ramel, Abbarno, Stonier, Doglio, Tharinger, Lekanoff, Leavitt, Reed, Gregerson, Kloba, Salahuddin, Zahn, Ormsby, Scott, Hill, and Simmons
Read first time 01/23/25. Referred to Committee on Health Care & Wellness.
AN ACT Relating to ensuring patient choice and access to care by prohibiting unfair and deceptive dental insurance practices; amending RCW 48.44.035 , 48.44.495 , and 48.43.743 ; adding new sections to chapter 48.44 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 48.43 RCW; and creating new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the dental benefits system in Washington is failing both patients and dental professionals, as it primarily benefits corporate insurance companies rather than those it is meant to serve. Insurance executives, whose bonuses increase when payouts to patients decrease, dominate the system, leaving patients and providers struggling to navigate a system that prioritizes profits over care.
Therefore, the legislature seeks to reform this broken system by putting patients at the center, ensuring the system works for all stakeholders, especially those in need. The goal of this act is to bring equity, transparency, and fairness to the dental insurance market. By aligning dental insurance protections with those already established for medical insurance, it ensures patients have the same rights and protections. The focus is on making dental benefits work for people, not corporations. A key element of the reform is protecting patient choice. Patients should be able to choose a trusted dentist and receive the full benefits they pay for, regardless of network restrictions. Therefore, the legislature intends to eliminate corporate restrictions that limit care and undermine the patient-provider relationship.