H-4415.1          _______________________________________________

                                  HOUSE BILL 2931

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1992 Regular Session

By Representatives Hine and G. Fisher

Read first time 02/03/92.  Referred to Committee on Health Care.Exempting nursing facilities that make good faith efforts from obtaining and maintaining medicare certification.

     AN ACT Relating to medicare; and amending RCW 74.46.660.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

     Sec. 1.  RCW 74.46.660 and 1991 sp.s. c 8 s 13 are each amended to read as follows:

     In order to participate in the prospective cost-related reimbursement system established by this chapter, the person or legal organization responsible for operation of a facility shall:

     (1) Obtain a state certificate of need and/or federal capital expenditure review (section 1122) approval pursuant to chapter 70.38 RCW and Part 100, Title 42 CFR where required;

     (2) Hold the appropriate current license;

     (3) Hold current Title XIX certification;

     (4) Hold a current contract to provide services under this chapter;

     (5) Comply with all provisions of the contract and all application regulations, including but not limited to the provisions of this chapter; and

     (6) Obtain and maintain medicare certification, under Title XVIII of the social security act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1395, as amended, for ((no less than fifteen percent)) a portion of the facility's licensed beds.  The department may grant exemptions to this subsection when the department decides that a nursing facility is making a good faith effort to obtain medicare certification.  The exemptions may be granted through June 1, 1993.