PROPOSED RULES
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Medicaid Purchasing Administration)
Original Notice.
Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 10-20-160.
Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: WAC 388-531-0100 Scope of coverage for physician-related and healthcare professional services -- General and administrative, 388-531-0150 Noncovered physician-related and healthcare professional services -- General and administrative, 388-531-0200 Physician-related and healthcare professional services requiring prior authorization, 388-531-0250 Who can provide and bill for physician-related and healthcare professional services, 388-531-0375 Audiology services, 388-531-0400 Client responsibility for reimbursement for physician-related services, 388-531-1000 Ophthalmic services, 388-531-1025 Oral healthcare services provided by dentists for clients age twenty-one and older -- General, and 388-531-1300 Foot care services for clients twenty-one years of age and older.
Hearing Location(s): Office Building 2, Auditorium, DSHS Headquarters, 1115 Washington, Olympia, WA 98504 (public parking at 11th and Jefferson. A map is available at http://www1.dshs.wa.gov/msa/rpau/RPAU-OB-2directions.html or by calling (360) 664-6094), on June 21, 2011, at 10:00 a.m.
Date of Intended Adoption: Not sooner than June 22, 2011.
Submit Written Comments to: DSHS Rules Coordinator, P.O. Box 45850, Olympia, WA 98504-5850, delivery Office Building 2, DSHS Headquarters, 1115 Washington, Olympia, WA 98504, e-mail DSHSRPAURulesCoordinator@dshs.wa.gov, fax (360) 664-6185, by 5 p.m. on June 21, 2011.
Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Jennisha Johnson, DSHS rules consultant, by May 24, 2011, TTY (360) 664-6178 or (360) 664-6094 or by e-mail at jennisha.johnson@dshs.wa.gov.
Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: Upon order of the governor, the medicaid purchasing administration (MPA) must reduce its budget expenditures for the current fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, by 6.3 percent. To achieve this expenditure reduction, MPA is eliminating optional medical services from program benefit packages for clients twenty-one years of age and older. These medical services include vision, hearing, and dental. Chapter 388-531 WAC is being amended to include medical services previously listed in the programs to be eliminated that are necessary to, and included within, appropriate mandatory medical services under federal statutes and rules.
Reasons Supporting Proposal: Governor Gregoire issued Executive Order 10-04 on September 13, 2010, under the authority of RCW 43.88.110(7). In the executive order, the governor required DSHS and all other state agencies to reduce their expenditures in state fiscal year 2011 by approximately 6.3 percent. As a consequence of the executive order, funding is no longer available as of January 1, 2011, for the benefits that are being eliminated as part of these regulatory amendments.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.08.090.
Statute Being Implemented: RCW 74.08.090.
Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.
Name of Proponent: DSHS, MPA, governmental.
Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting: Wendy L. Boedigheimer, P.O. Box 45504, Olympia, WA 98504-5504, (360) 725-1306; Implementation and Enforcement: Ellen Silverman, P.O. Box 45506, Olympia, WA 98504-5506, (360) 725-1570.
No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. The department has analyzed the proposed rule amendments and determined that there are no new costs associated with these changes and they do not impose disproportionate costs on small businesses.
A cost-benefit analysis is required under RCW 34.05.328. A preliminary cost-benefit analysis may be obtained by contacting Ellen Silverman, P.O. Box 45506, Olympia, WA 98504-5506, phone (360) 725-1570, fax (360) 586-9727, e-mail Ellen.Silverman@dshs.wa.gov.
April 28, 2011
Katherine I. Vasquez
Rules Coordinator
Reviser's note: The material contained in this filing exceeded the page-count limitations of WAC 1-21-040 for appearance in this issue of the Register. It will appear in the 11-11 issue of the Register.