H-3098.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2381

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      53rd Legislature     1994 Regular Session

By Representatives Leonard and King

Read first time 01/14/94.  Referred to Committee on Human Services.

Directing the department of social and health services to contract for the out of home care for children with severe medical problems.

    AN ACT Relating to children with severe medical problems; adding a new section to chapter 74.09 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that children with severe medical problems receive care in hospitals which can exceed one hundred thousand dollars per month.  The legislature further finds that the same child can be cared for at a cost of twelve thousand dollars per month at the Ashley House facility in King county, Washington.  The legislature further finds that a component of the rapid rise in health care costs is unnecessary or inappropriate care provided in hospitals when less high-quality, less-expensive care is available in the community.  The legislature further finds that the Pediatric Interim Care Facility in King county, Washington was established in 1990 through legislative action to also care for children with severe medical needs who do not require hospital care.  The legislature further finds that through legislative action children received care in a more appropriate and home-like setting and substantial savings were realized by avoiding the inappropriate expenditure of limited state resources.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 74.09 RCW to read as follows:

    The department of social and health services shall contract with out-of-home care providers serving children with severe medical problems prospectively to ensure the availability of beds for children in need and to conserve scarce state funds through minimizing the inappropriate and unnecessary care these children currently receive in hospitals when that level of care is unnecessary.  The department shall establish appropriate referral procedures to ensure the timely transfer of children with severe medical problems from hospitals to out-of-home service providers licensed for their care.

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