PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Medical Assistance Administration)
Subject of Possible Rule Making: WAC 388-550-6000 Payment -- Outpatient hospital services.
Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 74.08.090, 74.09.500.
Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The department is updating policy for reimbursement for outpatient hospital services to be consistent with the development of a rule to implement a new Medicaid payment method for outpatient hospital services provided to Medicaid clients (outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS)). Also, the department is no longer using the twenty-four-hours-or-less criteria in the definition for "outpatient short stay" and is replacing related language in WAC 388-550-6000 with alternative language.
Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: None.
Process for Developing New Rule: The department invites the interested public to review and provide input on the draft language of this rule. Draft material and information about how to participate may be obtained from the department representative listed below.
Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Kathy Sayre, Program Manager, P.O. Box 45533, Olympia, WA 98504-5533, phone (360) 725-1342, fax (360) 586-9727, TTY 1-800-848-5429, e-mail sayrek@dshs.wa.gov.
June 18, 2004
Brian H. Lindgren, Manager
Rules and Policies Assistance Unit