Wash. Rev. Code » Title 48 · Chapter 48.43
Revised Code of Washington

Wash. Rev. Code § 48.43.073 (2026)

Required abortion coverage—Limitations

✓ current as of May 2026
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(1)(a) Except as provided in subsection (5) of this section, if a health plan issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2019, provides coverage for maternity care or services, the health plan must also provide a covered person with substantially equivalent coverage to permit the abortion of a pregnancy. Except as provided in subsection (5) of this section, if a student health plan, including student health plans deemed by the insurance commissioner to have a short-term limited purpose or duration or to be guaranteed renewable while the covered person is enrolled as a regular full-time undergraduate or graduate student at an accredited higher education institution, issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2022, provides coverage for maternity care or services, the health plan must also provide a covered person with substantially equivalent coverage to permit the abortion of a pregnancy.
(b) Except as provided in (c) of this subsection, for health plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2024, a health carrier may not impose cost sharing for abortion of a pregnancy.
(c) For a health plan that provides coverage for abortion of a pregnancy and is offered as a qualifying health plan for a health savings account, the health carrier shall establish the plan's cost sharing for the coverage required by this section at the minimum level necessary to preserve the enrollee's ability to claim tax exempt contributions and withdrawals from the enrollee's health savings account under internal revenue service laws and regulations.
(2)(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, a health plan or student health plan subject to subsection (1) of this section may not limit in any way a person's access to services related to the abortion of a pregnancy.
(b)(i) Coverage for the abortion of a pregnancy may be subject to terms and conditions generally applicable to the health plan or student health plan's coverage of maternity care or services.
(ii) A health plan or student health plan is not required to cover abortions that would be unlawful under RCW 9.02.120.
(3) Nothing in this section may be interpreted to limit in any way an individual's constitutionally or statutorily protected right to voluntarily terminate a pregnancy.
(4) This section does not, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Sec. 18054(a)(6), apply to a multistate plan that does not provide coverage for the abortion of a pregnancy.
(5) If the application of this section to a health plan or student health plan results in noncompliance with federal requirements that are a prescribed condition to the allocation of federal funds to the state, this section is inapplicable to the plan to the minimum extent necessary for the state to be in compliance. The inapplicability of this section to a specific health plan or student health plan under this subsection does not affect the operation of this section in other circumstances.
[ 2023 c 194 s 1; 2021 c 53 s 1; 2018 c 119 s 3.]

Notes:

Findings—Declarations—2018 c 119: See note following RCW 48.43.072.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 7 cases (5 in the last 5 years), 2019–2026 · leading case: Cedar Park Assembly of God of Kirkland, Washington v. Myron Kreidler, 130 F.4th 757 (9th Cir. 2025).
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Cedar Park Assembly of God of Kirkland, Washington v. Myron Kreidler, 130 F.4th 757 (9th Cir. 2025). · cites it 5× “” Wash. Rev. Code § 48.43.073 (1)(a). 4 3 Section 48.”
Cedar Park Assembly of God of Kirkland, Washington v. Kreidler (W.D. Wash. 2023). · cites it 3× “RCW 48.43.073 requires all health plans 6 issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2019, that provide coverage for maternity care or 7 services to provide the covered person “with substantially equivalent coverage to permit 8 the abortion of a pregnancy.”
Cedar Park Assembly of God of Kirkland, Washington v. Kreidler (W.D. Wash. 2019). · cites it 2× “072 and RCW 48.43.073. Dkt. 20, ⁋ 4. RCW 48.43.072 19 requires all health plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2019 to cover all FDA- 20 approved prescription and over-the-counter contraceptive drugs, devices, and products.”
Cedar Park Assembly of God of Kirkland, Washington v. Kreidler (W.D. Wash. 2020). · cites it 2× “072 and RCW 48.43.073. Dkt. 20, ⁋ 4. RCW 48.43.072 19 requires all health plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2019 to cover all FDA- 20 approved prescription and over-the-counter contraceptive drugs, devices, and products.”
Zion HealthShare, Inc. v. Off. of the Ins. Comm'r (Wash. Ct. App. 2026). · cites it 2× “See RCW 48.43.073 (Requiring all health insurance policies issued in Washington State to provide coverage for abortion related services).”
Cedar Park Assembly of God of Kirkland, Washington v. Kreidler (W.D. Wash. 2022). “A summary of pertinent factual and 4 procedural background follows. 5 Plaintiff Cedar Park Assembly of God of Kirkland, Washingon sued Washington 6 Governor, Jay Inslee, and the Insurance Commissioner of Washington, Myron Kreidler, 7 alleging that SB 6219 violates the Free…”
Cedar Park Assembly of God of Kirkland, Washington v. Kreidler (W.D. Wash. 2023). “RCW 48.43.073 requires all health plans 8 issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2019, that provide coverage for maternity care or 9 services to provide the covered person “with substantially equivalent coverage to permit 10 the abortion of a pregnancy.”
— Wash. Rev. Code § 48.43.073(1) — 1 case
Cedar Park Assembly of God of Kirkland, Washington v. Kreidler (W.D. Wash. 2023). “RCW 48.43.073 requires all health plans 6 issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2019, that provide coverage for maternity care or 7 services to provide the covered person “with substantially equivalent coverage to permit 8 the abortion of a pregnancy.”
— Wash. Rev. Code § 48.43.073(1)(a) — 1 case
Zion HealthShare, Inc. v. Off. of the Ins. Comm'r (Wash. Ct. App. 2026). “See RCW 48.43.073 (Requiring all health insurance policies issued in Washington State to provide coverage for abortion related services).”
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