Subject of Possible Rule Making: Eligibility rules for medical assistance programs, including chapters 182-500, 182-503, 182-504, 182-505, 182-506, 182-507, 182-508, 182-509, 182-510, 182-511, 182-512, 182-514, 182-523, 182-556 WAC, and possibly other related rules, along with the creation of new regulations to support the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

     Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 41.05.021; Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act established under Public Law 111-148; and Code of Federal Regulations at 42 C.F.R. § 431, 435, and 457, and at 45 C.F.R. § 155.

     Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Health care authority (HCA) needs to promulgate new rules, craft amendments to some existing rules, and repeal some rules in order to implement new federal regulations under PPACA. This includes the establishment of standalone rules for medical assistance programs, including new rules for the streamlined application process envisaged through the Washington health benefit exchange; creation of a new medical assistance program for single adults and parents/caretaker relatives with income below one hundred thirty-eight percent federal poverty level; changes to income methodologies for medical assistance programs for families, children, pregnant women and single adults; and other associated rule changes to update references or remove references to programs that will no longer be available.

     Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: Department of social and health services, economic services administration and aging and disability services administration.

     Process for Developing New Rule: HCA welcomes the public to take part in developing the rules. Anyone interested should contact the staff person identified below. At a later date, HCA will file a notice of proposed rule making (CR-102) with the office of the code reviser. A copy of the proposal will be sent to everyone on the mailing list and to anyone who requests a copy.

     Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Kevin Sullivan, HCA Rules Coordinator, P.O. Box 45504, Olympia, WA 98504-5504, phone (360) 725-1344, fax (360) 586-9727, TTY 1-800-848-5429, e-mail kevin.sullivan@hca.wa.gov.

September 19, 2012

Kevin M. Sullivan

Rules Coordinator