Purpose: The purpose of amending this rule is to be consistent with recently passed legislation SSB 6466 (chapter 34, Laws of 2004), an act regarding the admission of residents to nursing facilities.

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-97-017 Nursing homes -- Discrimination prohibited.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 18.51.070 and 74.42.620.

     Other Authority: Chapter 34, Laws of 2004.

      Adopted under notice filed as WSR 04-17-107 on August 17, 2004.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.

     Date Adopted: September 30, 2004.

Brian H. Lindgren, Manager

Rules and Policies Assistance Unit

     (2) A nursing facility must not require or request:

     (a) Residents or potential residents to waive their rights to Medicare or Medicaid;

     (b) Oral or written assurance that residents or potential residents are not eligible for, or will not apply for Medicare or Medicaid benefits; and

     (c) A third party guarantee of payment to the facility as a condition of admission or expedited admission, or continued stay in the facility. However, the facility may require an individual who has legal access to a resident's income or resources available to pay for facility care to sign a contract, without incurring personal financial liability, to provide facility payment from the resident's income or resources.

     (3) A nursing facility must inform, in writing, a prospective resident, and where applicable, the resident's representative, before or at the time of admission, that a third party may not be required or requested to personally guarantee payment to the nursing home, as specified in subsection (2)(c) of this section.

     (4) A nursing facility must readmit a resident, who has been hospitalized or on therapeutic leave, immediately to the first available bed in a semiprivate room if the resident:

     (a) Requires the services provided by the facility; and

     (b) Is eligible for Medicaid nursing facility services.

     (5) A nursing facility must not:

     (a) Deny or delay admission or readmission of an individual to the facility because of the individual's status as a Medicaid recipient;

     (b) Transfer a resident, except from a single room to another room within the facility, because of the resident's status as a Medicaid recipient;

     (c) Discharge a resident from a facility because of the resident's status as a Medicaid recipient; or

     (d) Charge Medicaid recipients any amounts in excess of the Medicaid rate from the date of eligibility, except for any supplementation that may be permitted by department regulation.

     (((5))) (6) A nursing facility must maintain only one list of names of individuals seeking admission to the facility, which is ordered by the date of request for admission, and must:

     (a) Offer admission to individuals in the order they appear on the list, ((provided)) except as provided in subsection (7), as long as the facility can meet the needs of the individual with available staff or through the provision of reasonable accommodations required by state or federal laws;

     (b) Retain the list of individuals seeking admission for one year from the month admission was requested; and

     (c) Offer admission to the portions of the facility certified under Medicare and Medicaid without discrimination against persons eligible for Medicaid((.

     (6))) , except as provided in subsection (7).

     (7) A nursing facility is permitted to give preferential admission to individuals who seek admission from a boarding home, licensed under chapter 18.20 RCW, or from independent retirement housing, if:

     (a) The nursing facility is owned by the same entity that owns the boarding home or independent housing; and

     (b) They are located within the same proximate geographic area; and

     (c) The purpose of the preferential admission is to allow continued provision of culturally or faith-based services, or services provided by a continuing care retirement community as defined in RCW 74.38.025.

     (8) A nursing facility must develop and implement written policies and procedures to ensure nondiscrimination in accordance with this section and RCW 74.42.055.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.51.070 and 74.42.620. 00-06-028, § 388-97-017, filed 2/24/00, effective 3/26/00.]

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