New health care law will affect Washington and Idaho residents in the new year

SPOKANE, Wash. — The ringing of a new year means new laws in both Washington and Idaho.

Three laws specifically related to the healthcare industry will impact both staff and patients in Washington and Idaho on January 1, 2025.

Starting in January, House Bill 2061 will prevent more Washington health care workers from being required to work overtime.

Beginning next year, Washington state will begin banning mandatory overtime for hourly staff, as well as those involved in patient care and clinical work. This includes those based on collective agreements.

The law amended the term health care employee, eliminating positions such as technicians and specialists.

This will apply to most medical facilities from the beginning of the year, with the definition change taking effect on July 1 for small hospitals.

Beyond Washington, new requirements are being imposed on hospitals to change their policies for patients who may be infected with HIV. This passes Senate Bill 6127.

Hospitals in the state must provide a 28-day supply of PEP medication to patients who pose a risk.

Although public health plans do not qualify for care, health plans cannot enforce requirements not issued by the CDC for patients to initially obtain PEP medications.

Looking at Idaho in 2025, January 1st is the start date for House Bill 596.

It aims to reduce prescription drug costs by regulating the role of prescription benefit managers (PBMs).

The Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit against the nation's three largest PBMs: Caremark RX, Express Scripts, and OptumRx. The FTC's lawsuit alleges that PBMs used kickback practices that artificially increased the cost of insulin.

The Idaho law is designed to hold PBMs accountable and includes requiring disclosure of prescription drug prices and discounts they charge or impose.

No legal decision has yet been made in this case.