Mental Health Parity Rulemaking (R 2025-13)

E2SHB 1432 updates Washington's mental health parity law and ensures coverage of medically necessary care. The legislation replaces current mental health parity statutes that had been in separate chapters for each type of health carrier, with a new section in RCW 48.43 which applies to all types of health carriers. It requires utilization and clinical review criteria to be consistent with generally accepted standards of mental health and substance use care, and incorporates the final federal rules related to the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, adopted in September 2024, into Washington state law.

Multiple provisions of healthcare and insurance regulations in the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) may need to be updated by our office to be consistent with the legislation that has been passed.

This rulemaking may include but is not limited to improving access to appropriate mental health and substance use disorder services. This rulemaking may create new sections in WAC chapter 284-43 and may include but is not limited to the following authorities: WAC 284-43 Subchapter K; WAC 284-43-0160; WAC 284-43-2000; WAC 284-43-2020; WAC 284-43-2021; WAC 284-43-2050; WAC 284-43-3030; WAC 284-43-3070; WAC 284-43-4040; WAC 284-43-5130; and WAC 284-170-130.