Subject of Possible Rule Making: WAC 182-550-6000 Outpatient hospital services—Conditions of payment and payment methods; other related rules as appropriate.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The agency is amending subsection (3)(c) of this rule, which states that the agency does not pay separately for certain services provided within one calendar day of an inpatient hospital admission. The agency is adding to this subsection to state that separate payments are not made for certain services provided within one calendar day of discharge.

The agency also intends to remove subsections (6) and (7). These subsections reference the maximum allowable fee schedule and the hospital outpatient rate for payment of certain services. The agency is making these changes because it does not use these payment methods, but instead uses the enhanced ambulatory payment group method to determine payments, consistent with WAC 182-550-7200. During the course of this review, health care authority may identify additional related changes that are required in order to improve clarity or update policy.

Process for Developing New Rule: The agency welcomes the public to take part in developing this rule. If interested, contact the person identified below to receive an early rule draft to review. After the early review, the agency will send a notice of proposed rule making (CR-102) to everyone receiving this notice and 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 Melinda Froud, Rulemaking Questions, P.O. Box 42716, Olympia, WA 98504-2716, phone 360-725-1408, fax 360-586-9727, telecommunication[s] relay service (TRS) 711, email melinda.froud@hca.wa.gov, website www.hca.wa.gov/about-hca/rulemaking; or Tracy Huynh, Program Questions, P.O. Box 45500, Olympia, WA 98504-5500, phone 360-725-1311, fax 360-586-9727, TRS 711, email Tracy.huynh@hca.wa.gov, website www.hca.wa.gov/about-hca/rulemaking.