Subject of Possible Rule Making: Chapter 246-455 WAC, Hospital inpatient discharge information reporting also known as comprehensive hospital abstract reporting system (CHARS).

     Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 43.70.052.

     Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: This rule is to respond to the revision of the federal uniform billing form (UB04)/Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CHARS utilizes this billing document as a source of information and the rule needs to reflect the federal changes. Through stakeholder input, the current data elements may expand to include additional information. The current list of data elements, including definitions, are included in the rule. The definitions will be removed from the rule and referenced in the CHARS procedure manual. The current data validation process will be simplified to assure high quality and timely release of data.

     Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); National Uniform Billing Committee (NUBC).

     CMS establishes the UB04 requirements. NUBC adopts these requirements and disseminates the data to users of the UB04. Department of Health, through CHARS, can only collect data elements from the UB04.

     Process for Developing New Rule: The Department of Health will work with interested stakeholders to develop the proposed rule changes.

     Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Larry Hettick, HPDS Manager, Department of Health, P.O. Box 47814, Olympia, WA 98504-7814, phone (360) 236-4210, fax (360) 664-8579, larry.hettick@doh.wa.gov. All information will be available to interested stakeholders via e-mail, newsletters, open meetings, web site, etc.

November 1, 2005

Mary C. Selecky

Secretary