2SSB 6182
SignedSenate
Abortion savings program
Establishing an abortion savings program.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill establishes the Abortion Savings Program to provide state grants for abortion clinical care services for individuals without sufficient resources, funded by annual assessments on health carriers. It also creates the Abortion Savings Account and updates how state investment earnings are distributed to include this new account.
- Creates the Abortion Savings Program within the Department of Health to provide operating grants for abortion clinical care services for individuals without sufficient resources (uninsured, underinsured, or unable to use insurance due to communication risks).
- Imposes an annual assessment on health carriers offering plans on Washington’s health benefit exchange: $0.82 per coverage month in 2026, then $0.165 per coverage month annually thereafter, collected by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
- Requires health carriers to file annual reports on coverage months and face penalties (5%–20%) and interest for late or unpaid assessments, with penalties credited to the Abortion Savings Account.
- Establishes the Abortion Savings Account in the state treasury, into which all assessment revenues are deposited; funds may only be spent after legislative appropriation and only for the abortion savings program.
- Mandates that at least 85% of grant funds go directly to eligible organizations (those employing licensed abortion providers), with strict confidentiality protections—including shielding staff and patient identifying information from public disclosure.
- Amends the state’s investment earnings allocation law to include the Abortion Savings Account in the list of accounts that receive a proportionate share of investment earnings based on average daily balance.
Who is affected
- Health insurance companies — Health carriers (insurance companies) offering plans on Washington's health benefit exchange in plan year 2026 and later must pay an annual assessment based on the number of coverage months they issue, and may face penalties and license suspension for noncompliance.
- Abortion service providers and clinics — Organizations that employ licensed providers who perform abortions may apply for state grants to support abortion services for people who are uninsured, underinsured, or unable to use their insurance due to communication risks.
- Individuals seeking abortion care without sufficient resources — Individuals who are uninsured, underinsured, or at risk of exposure due to insurance carrier communications may gain access to abortion services through state-funded grants to eligible providers.
- State government and general public — The state treasury will invest funds and allocate earnings—including to the new Abortion Savings Account—while continuing to fund other state programs as required by law.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for concerns
Potential Benefits (5)
The bill explicitly prohibits health carriers from passing the assessment cost to enrollees through premiums, rates, or plan design. This prevents cost-shifting that could otherwise raise premiums for all policyholders, protecting consumers from indirect price increases.
Business & EmploymentRef: Section 1(8)The bill delegates rulemaking authority to the Insurance Commissioner for implementation, allowing for flexible, expert-driven regulatory development without imposing new mandates on local governments.
Local GovernmentRef: Section 1(9)The Department of Health is required to develop grant standards to ensure funds are used as intended. This promotes accountability and reduces risk of misuse, supporting program integrity and long-term sustainability.
HealthcareRef: Section 2(6)The bill allows for refunds of overpaid assessments within six years, providing a safety valve for carrier errors and ensuring fairness in collection—though this is administrative and rarely used in practice.
Business & EmploymentRef: Section 1(6)The bill authorizes the Insurance Commissioner to revoke the certificate of authority of noncompliant health carriers, providing strong enforcement leverage. However, this is a standard regulatory tool and unlikely to be used broadly, as most carriers are expected to comply.
Business & EmploymentRef: Section 1(5)
Potential Concerns (5)
The bill establishes a state-funded abortion care program for individuals without sufficient resources, expanding access to abortion services for low-income, uninsured, underinsured, or communication-risk-averse patients. This directly improves health equity and reduces barriers to time-sensitive reproductive care.
HealthcarePeopleRef: Section 2(2), (3), (7); Section 3The bill includes strong confidentiality protections: it prohibits disclosure of staff, provider, or patient identifying information, and explicitly shields this data from public records requests. This protects vulnerable patients (e.g., minors, domestic violence survivors, those in hostile communities) from retaliation or coercion.
Rights & LibertiesPeopleRef: Section 2(4), (5); Section 1(8)The bill imposes a per-member-per-month assessment on health carriers offering plans on the state exchange ($0.82 in 2026, then $0.165 annually), which carriers cannot pass through to enrollees. This creates a dedicated funding stream for abortion services, reducing out-of-pocket costs for patients who qualify for the grants.
FinancialPeopleRef: Section 1(1), (2), (7); Section 3The definition of ‘individuals without sufficient resources’ includes people who cannot use their insurance due to communication risks (e.g., fear of abuser seeing insurance mailings). This addresses a real-world access barrier that disproportionately affects survivors of intimate partner violence and low-income patients with limited privacy at home.
HealthcareLean peopleRef: Section 2(7)(a)(iii)The bill adds the Abortion Savings Account to the list of accounts receiving proportionate investment earnings based on average daily balance. This is a neutral accounting adjustment that ensures the account earns interest like other state trust funds—no net fiscal gain or loss to the state or general fund.
FinancialRef: Section 4–9 (RCW 43.84.092 amendments)
Who Is Most Affected
Health carriers must pay an annual per-member assessment and face penalties, license suspension, and interest on late payments. While the cost is modest ($0.82/member in 2026), it represents a new regulatory burden and compliance cost. However, the assessment is fixed and capped, and carriers cannot pass it to consumers, limiting financial impact.
Abortion clinics and providers that employ licensed providers can apply for state grants to support abortion services for underserved patients. The requirement that ≥85% of funds go directly to eligible organizations ensures meaningful funding reaches the front lines of care.
Low-income, uninsured, underinsured, or privacy-vulnerable individuals gain direct access to state-funded abortion services. The confidentiality protections are especially critical for survivors of intimate partner violence and minors. This reduces financial and logistical barriers to care.
The state treasury gains a new dedicated account that earns investment interest, but the overall fiscal impact is neutral: the assessment funds the program, and the investment earnings allocation is a bookkeeping change. No general fund resources are used.