Effective Date of Rule: July 1, 2006.

     Purpose: WAC 246-919-990 Physician and surgeon fees and renewal cycle and 246-918-990 Physician assistant fees and renewal cycle. Due to an increase in workload, the Washington physicians health program (WPHP) has requested an increase in the impaired physician program fee paid by the department of health (department) to WPHP. The department conducted an analysis of WPHP's fees, staffing, caseload, program costs, and productivity. The department determined that an increase to the impaired physician program fee is necessary to continue to make payments out of the fund for the duration of the contract, which expires on June 30, 2009. The department is proposing amending the rule to raise the impaired physician program fee to $35.00 per year. The statutes governing the impaired physician program fee allow licensees to be charged up to $35.00 per year.

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 246-918-990 and 246-919-990.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 43.70.250.

      Adopted under notice filed as WSR 06-07-007 on March 3, 2006.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 2, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 2, Repealed 0.

     Date Adopted: May 18, 2006.

Mary C. Selecky

Secretary

OTS-8601.1

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 05-12-012, filed 5/20/05, effective 7/1/05)

WAC 246-919-990   Physician and surgeon fees and renewal cycle.   (1) Licenses must be renewed every two years on the practitioner's birthday as provided in chapter 246-12 WAC, Part 2, except postgraduate training limited licenses and retired active physician licenses. The secretary may require payment of renewal fees less than those established in this section if the current level of fees is likely to result in a surplus of funds. Surplus funds are those in excess of the amount necessary to pay for the costs of administering the program and to maintain a reasonable reserve. Notice of any adjustment in the required payment will be provided to practitioners. The adjustment in the required payment shall remain in place for the duration of a renewal cycle to assure practitioners an equal benefit from the adjustment.

     (2) Postgraduate training limited licenses must be renewed every year to correspond to program date. The secretary may require payment of renewal fees less than those established in this section if the current level of fees is likely to result in a surplus of funds. Surplus funds are those in excess of the amount necessary to pay for the costs of administering the program and to maintain a reasonable reserve. Notice of any adjustment in the required payment will be provided to practitioners. The adjustment in the required payment shall remain in place for the duration of a renewal cycle to assure practitioners an equal benefit from the adjustment.

     (3) Retired active physician licenses shall be renewed every year. The secretary may require payment of renewal fees less than those established in this section if the current level of fees is likely to result in a surplus of funds. Surplus funds are those in excess of the amount necessary to pay for the costs of administering the program and to maintain a reasonable reserve. Notice of any adjustment in the required payment will be provided to practitioners. The adjustment in the required payment shall remain in place for the duration of a renewal cycle to assure practitioners an equal benefit from the adjustment.

     (4) The applicants and licensees must pay the following nonrefundable fees:

Title of Fee	Fee
Physicians and surgeons: Chapter 18.71 RCW
Application*	$300.00
Retired active physician license renewal*	100.00
Retired active late renewal penalty	50.00
Two-year renewal*	400.00
Late renewal penalty	100.00
Expired license reissuance	200.00
Certification of license	50.00
Duplicate license	15.00
Temporary permit	50.00
Application fee for transitioning from a postgraduate training limited license*	100.00
Postgraduate limited license fees: RCW 18.71.095
Limited license application*	200.00
Limited license renewal*	200.00
Limited duplicate license	15.00
Impaired physician program *(assessed at $((25.00)) 35.00 on each application and for each year of the renewal period as required in RCW 18.71.310(2))	((25.00)) 35.00

[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.70.250, [43.70.]280 and 43.70.110. 05-12-012, § 246-919-990, filed 5/20/05, effective 7/1/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.71.017, 18.71A.020 and 43.70.280. 02-05-009, § 246-919-990, filed 2/8/02, effective 3/11/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.71.017, 18.130.050(1), 18.130.040(4), 18.130.050(12) and 18.130.340. 99-23-090, § 246-919-990, filed 11/16/99, effective 1/1/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.70.280. 98-05-060, § 246-919-990, filed 2/13/98, effective 3/16/98. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.71.017 and 43.70.250. 97-15-100, § 246-919-990, filed 7/21/97, effective 8/21/97. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.71.017 and 18.71A.020. 96-03-073, § 246-919-990, filed 1/17/96, effective 2/17/96.]

OTS-8600.1

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 05-12-012, filed 5/20/05, effective 7/1/05)

WAC 246-918-990   Physician assistants fees and renewal cycle.   (1) Licenses must be renewed every two years on the practitioner's birthday as provided in chapter 246-12 WAC, Part 2. The secretary may require payment of renewal fees less than those established in this section if the current level of fees is likely to result in a surplus of funds. Surplus funds are those in excess of the amount necessary to pay for the costs of administering the program and to maintain a reasonable reserve. Notice of any adjustment in the required payment will be provided to practitioners. The adjustment in the required payment shall remain in place for the duration of a renewal cycle to assure practitioners an equal benefit from the adjustment.

     (2) The applicant or licensee must pay the following nonrefundable fees:

Title of Fee	Fee
Physician assistants, certified physician assistants, physician assistant-surgical assistants, acupuncture physician assistants:
Application*	$50.00
Two-year renewal*	70.00
Expired license reissuance	35.00
Duplicate license	15.00
Impaired physician program surcharge *(assessed at $((25.00)) 35.00 on each application and for each year of the renewal period as required in RCW 18.71.310(2))	((25.00)) 35.00

[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.70.250, [43.70.]280 and 43.70.110. 05-12-012, § 246-918-990, filed 5/20/05, effective 7/1/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.71.017, 18.71A.020 and 43.70.280. 02-05-009, § 246-918-990, filed 2/8/02, effective 3/11/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.71.017, 18.130.050(1), 18.130.040(4), 18.130.050(12) and 18.130.340. 99-23-090, § 246-918-990, filed 11/16/99, effective 1/1/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.71.017 and 18.71A.020(3). 99-13-087, § 246-918-990, filed 6/14/99, effective 7/15/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.70.280. 98-05-060, § 246-918-990, filed 2/13/98, effective 3/16/98. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.71.017 and 18.71A.020. 96-03-073, § 246-918-990, filed 1/17/96, effective 2/17/96. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.70.040. 91-06-027 (Order 131), § 246-918-990, filed 2/26/91, effective 3/29/91.]

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