WA HB1971

Health plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026 must reimburse for a 12-month supply of prescription hormone therapy obtained at one time, provided the medication can be safely stored at room temperature without refrigeration.

Exceptions allow smaller supplies when requested by the enrollee, when instructed by the prescribing provider, or when the hormone therapy is a controlled substance (in which case the maximum refill allowed under state and federal law applies).

Health plans may limit refills in the last quarter of the plan year if a 12-month supply has already been dispensed, and prescribers may temporarily limit refills to 90-day supplies during acute dispensing shortages.

Prescription hormone therapy is defined as FDA-approved drugs used to suppress, increase, or replace hormones, but explicitly excludes GLP-1 and GLP-1 receptor agonists.

The law takes effect July 27, 2025, and applies to both commercial health plans and state employee health plans under RCW 41.05.