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What is it?

The Washington (WA) Partnership Access Lines (PAL) funding program (WAPAL Fund) collects a fee from health plans.  We had previously discussed the fee here, and the government’s FAQs can be found .  The fee is being from $0.13 to $0.07 for fourth quarter 2021 filings due February 15, 2022.

Who must comply?

Employers are responsible to file and pay this fee if they have a self-funded health plan and employees in Washington state.

Deadline to comply?

The new fee is effective for fourth quarter 2021 submissions due February 15, 2022, and to future filings after that until a new fee is announced.  If the employer has already submitted an amount equal to the previous $0.13 rate, the program will automatically refund the employer the difference.

Summary

Employers with self-funded plans and employees in Washington state must file and pay the WAPAL Fund program fee for each quarter by the middle of the following quarter.  Employers are encouraged to identify whether their TPA is handling this for them.  If not, ensure you’re registered with the WAPAL fund website to handle quarterly reporting and payment yourself.  The fee was first effective retro to July 1, 2021, with that second quarter 2021 fee payable November 15, 2021.  And it would be good to subscribe to the WAPAL Fund website for any announcements or updates like the reduced fee announcement.

Written by: KC Rippstein

IMA will continue to monitor regulator guidance and offer meaningful, practical, timely information.

This material should not be considered as a substitute for legal, tax and/or actuarial advice. Contact the appropriate professional counsel for such matters. These materials are not exhaustive and are subject to possible changes in applicable laws, rules, and regulations and their interpretations.