Washington State’s Public Option: 4 Things to Know

Washington state lawmakers passed a law to implement a public option health insurance plan, according to NPR.

Four things to know about the law:

1. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democratic presidential hopeful, signed the bill May 13.
2. Under the bill, the state will launch Cascade Care. Washington will contract with private health insurers to administer the plan, but still control the terms to manage costs, according to NPR.
3. The state-sponsored plan will be available on Washington’s health insurance exchange beginning in 2021
4. In an effort to keep deductibles and premiums low, the state will cap provider and facility reimbursement rates at 160 percent of Medicare.

Source: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/payer-issues/washington-state-s-public-option-4-things-to-know.html