Washington Disability Board May Approve Medical Marijuana Coverage

The boards that oversee the disability programs for firefighters and police officers will be able to approve payments for medical marijuana. The Washington attorney general has said these payments are okay. The medical marijuana use must be appropriately authorized by a doctor.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s opinion includes that the board is not required to cover it, according to The Spokesman-Review. The board is only required to cover medications prescribed by a doctor. Medical marijuana is still questioned because it isn’t actually “prescribed.”

For coverage to be approved, the board has to determine that the medical marijuana treatment is necessary. This would come into play if traditional therapies and treatments are not working. Specific situations for approvals and denials regarding reimbursement for out-of-pocket costs would then need to be outlined.

It isn’t clear whether the board will or won’t make changes to allow medical marijuana coverage but the state’s Attorney General has given the green light.