WSR 21-24-085
PROPOSED RULES
HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY
[Filed November 30, 2021, 4:48 p.m.]
Original Notice.
Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 21-16-016.
Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: WAC 182-550-4100 Payment method—New hospitals.
Hearing Location(s): On January 4, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. The health care authority (HCA) remains closed in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency. Until further notice, HCA continues to hold public hearings virtually without a physical meeting place. This promotes social distancing and the safety of the residents of Washington state. To attend the virtual public hearing, you must register in advance for this public hearing https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EO-r4q2sQmeswJiqMwS3Rw. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the public hearing.
Date of Intended Adoption: Not sooner than January 5, 2022.
Submit Written Comments to: HCA Rules Coordinator, P.O. Box 42716, Olympia, WA 98504-2716, email arc@hca.wa.gov, fax 360-586-9727, by January 4, 2022.
Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact HCA rules coordinator, phone 360-725-1306, fax 360-586-9727, telecommunication[s] relay service 711, email arc@hca.wa.gov, by December 17, 2021.
Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: The agency is amending this rule to include, as part of subsection (2), an exception to per diem rate calculations for psychiatric per diem rates to align with the agency's state plan.
Reasons Supporting Proposal: See purpose.
Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.
Agency Comments or Recommendations, if any, as to Statutory Language, Implementation, Enforcement, and Fiscal Matters: Not applicable.
Name of Proponent: HCA, governmental.
Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting: Valerie Freudenstein, P.O. Box 42716, Olympia, WA 98504-2716, 360-725-1344; Implementation and Enforcement: Sarah Cook, P.O. Box 55688, Olympia, WA 98504-5688, 360-725-1577.
A school district fiscal impact statement is not required under RCW
28A.305.135.
A cost-benefit analysis is not required under RCW
34.05.328. RCW
34.05.328 does not apply to HCA rules unless requested by the joint administrative rules review committee or applied voluntarily.
The proposed rule does not impose more-than-minor costs on businesses. Following is a summary of the agency's analysis showing how costs were calculated. The proposed rule does not impose any costs on businesses.
November 30, 2021
Wendy Barcus
Rules Coordinator
OTS-3312.2
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 14-12-047, filed 5/29/14, effective 7/1/14)
WAC 182-550-4100Payment method—New hospitals.
(1) For rate-setting purposes, the agency considers as new:
(a) A hospital which began services after the most recent rebasing; or
(b) A hospital that has not been in operation for a complete fiscal year.
(2) With the exception of determining psychiatric per diem rates as directed by the Washington state legislature (see WAC 182-550-3800(6)), the agency determines a new hospital's conversion factor, per diem rate, or per case rate, to be the statewide average rate for the conversion factor, category of per diem rate, or per case rate adjusted by the geographically appropriate hospital specific medicare wage index.
(3) The agency determines a new hospital's ratio of costs-to-charges (RCC) by calculating and using the average RCC for all current Washington in-state hospitals.
(4) When a hospital changes ownership, the agency does not consider it a new hospital.