September 23, 2024
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler announced on Tuesday that his office has received a $620,000 Expanding Access to Women’s Health grant provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
The two-year grant provides states with funding to enhance and expand access to reproductive and maternal health coverage and services.
“Understanding and accessing over-the-counter contraceptives is critical to the health, safety and well-being of women in our state,” Kreidler said. “This will help us better inform women of their rights and empower them to advocate for their health and medical needs.”
The grant asks states to help address disparities in reproductive and maternal health outcomes that are caused by difficulty accessing, or understanding, reproductive health care information. The grant also allows for targeted market conduct examinations to assess insurers’ current compliance with laws and identify any potential changes needed.
The OIC pursued the grant after investigating concerns about coverage of over-the-counter (OTC) contraceptives. Subsequent surveys indicated that further work was needed to ensure insurers’ are following Washington state law.
The issues identified included:
- A low number of claims from consumers for over-the-counter contraceptives.
- A trend of increasing claims denials.
- A lack of standardized reimbursement processes for pharmacies to bill insurers for OTC contraceptives.
- Consumers’ difficulty in finding and using reimbursement forms.
The OIC plans to use some of the funds to create educational materials (publications, podcasts, blogs, webinars, or workshops) to help women understand their reproductive health care coverage options and the family planning services available in Washington state.