S-1192.1                   _______________________________________________

                                                     SENATE BILL 5564

                              _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1993 Regular Session

By Senators Prentice, Winsley, Vognild, Franklin, Prince, Skratek and Roach

Read first time 02/03/93.  Referred to Committee on Health & Human Services.

Establishing a chiropractic pilot program for basic health plan enrollees.

          AN ACT Relating to a chiropractic pilot program for basic health plan enrollees; and adding a new section to chapter 70.47 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 70.47 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) The legislature finds that the existing statutory system of health care regulation strongly favors allopathic medical care.  The legislature finds that chiropractic medicine may provide a cost-effective alternative to allopathic medical care.  A limited pilot program will help provide needed information to determine the following:  If chiropractic care as primary care is made widely available through managed health care plans (a) would persons choose it, (b) would the health outcomes of these chiropractic care patients be better or worse than similarly situated allopathic care patients, and (c) would the availability of chiropractic care be effective in containing costs.

          (2)(a) The state health care authority shall establish a pilot program that is designed to determine whether the availability of chiropractic care will result in improved health outcomes and cost savings.

          (b) The pilot program shall provide that basic health plan enrollees may voluntarily choose a health care benefit plan or managed health care system in which primary clinical care and clinical decision making is performed by chiropractic physicians licensed under chapter 18.25 RCW.

          (c) The capitated rate under the pilot program must be no greater than the average cost under managed health care systems.

          (d) As a condition to enrollment in the pilot program, participants waive the right to legal action against the state or any of its agencies for care provided by chiropractic physicians under the scope of this section.

          (3) The health care authority shall report to the legislature by December 1, 1995, on the results of the pilot program.

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