Today, Governor Bob Ferguson signed Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1432 into law, marking a significant milestone in Washington’s efforts to ensure equitable access to mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. The bill, championed by Rep. Tarra Simmons (D–Bremerton), modernizes and strengthens Washington’s mental health parity laws by requiring health insurers to cover medically necessary mental health and SUD services with the same rigor and transparency applied to other medical services.
“This legislation ensures that Washingtonians can access the mental health care they need—when they need it—based on evidence, not insurance loopholes,” said Rep. Simmons. “No one should be denied care because of opaque insurer criteria or arbitrary limitations. This is about saving lives and treating mental health with the same seriousness as physical health.”
The bill:
- Establishes a uniform, evidence-based definition of “medically necessary” for mental health and SUD services.
- Aligns state law with new federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) rules.
- Prohibits insurers from denying or limiting initial evaluations and up to six consecutive treatment visits for mental health and SUD services.
- Requires that utilization review criteria be consistent with nationally accepted clinical standards from nonprofit professional associations.
- Increases transparency and accountability by mandating timely disclosure of treatment denials and independent review criteria.
The new law comes as Washington continues to confront a behavioral health crisis, with more than 60% of residents diagnosed with a mental health condition reporting they were unable to access appropriate care in the past year.