Hundreds of Kitsap County families will lose their health insurance coverage later this year, when their KPS insurance provider ends their line of coverage this. But legislation sponsored by Sen. Rolfes to help them transition to new coverage has passed the Senate and is headed to the House for its approval.

As the Kitsap Sun reported:

Rolfes' bill is specifically designed for the to-be-discontinued KPS clients.

It focuses solely on an individual who will need health insurance by July 1 because a company discontinued that type of coverage. Such a person would not be required to complete a health screening questionnaire if an insurance application is made within 90 days of a carrier discontinuing its individual health benefits plan. Such a person would also need two years of coverage immediately before the termination.

Bremerton insurance broker Matt Ryan said a potential scenario that could be caused by KPS discontinuation is that a person originally covered for Type 2 diabetes could find himself or herself disqualified by a new potential insurer. "I think this bill is a direction in which we ought to be going," Ryan said.