The legislature finds that diabetes imposes a significant health risk and tremendous financial burden on the citizens and government of the state of Washington, and that access to the medically accepted standards of care for diabetes, its treatment and supplies, and self-management training and education is crucial to prevent or delay the short and long-term complications of diabetes and its attendant costs.

(1) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(a) "Person with diabetes" means a person diagnosed by a health care provider as having insulin using diabetes, noninsulin using diabetes, or elevated blood glucose levels induced by pregnancy; and

(b) "Health care provider" means a health care provider as defined in RCW 48.43.005.

(2) All state purchased health care purchased or renewed after January 1, 1998, except the basic health plan described in chapter 70.47 RCW, shall provide benefits for at least the following services and supplies for persons with diabetes:

(a) For state purchased health care that includes coverage for pharmacy services, appropriate and medically necessary equipment and supplies, as prescribed by a health care provider, that includes but is not limited to insulin, syringes, injection aids, blood glucose monitors, test strips for blood glucose monitors, visual reading and urine test strips, insulin pumps and accessories to the pumps, insulin infusion devices, prescriptive oral agents for controlling blood sugar levels, foot care appliances for prevention of complications associated with diabetes, and glucagon emergency kits; and

(b) For all state purchased health care, outpatient self-management training and education, including medical nutrition therapy, as ordered by the health care provider. Diabetes outpatient self-management training and education may be provided only by health care providers with expertise in diabetes. Nothing in this section prevents any state agency purchasing health care according to this section from restricting patients to seeing only health care providers who have signed participating provider agreements with that state agency or an insuring entity under contract with that state agency.

(3) Coverage required under this section may be subject to customary cost-sharing provisions established for all other similar services or supplies within a policy.

(4) Health care coverage may not be reduced or eliminated due to this section.

(5) Services required under this section shall be covered when deemed medically necessary by the medical director, or his or her designee, subject to any referral and formulary requirements.

Effective date—1997 c 276: "This act takes effect January 1, 1998." [ 1997 c 276 s 6.]