H-1070.1 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 1627
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 52nd Legislature 1991 Regular Session
By Representatives Fuhrman, Heavey, R. King, Morris, McLean, Prentice, Ballard, R. Meyers, Jones, Pruitt, Van Luven, Kremen, Hochstatter, Nealey, P. Johnson, Wynne, Casada and Dorn.
Read first time February 4, 1991. Referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.
AN ACT Relating to provision of chiropractic services in industrial insurance; and amending RCW 51.04.030.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 51.04.030 and 1989 c 189 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
The
director shall, through the division of industrial insurance, supervise the
providing of prompt and efficient care and treatment, including care provided
by physicians' assistants governed by the provisions of chapters 18.57A and
18.71A RCW, acting under a supervising physician, and including care
provided by chiropractors governed by the provisions of chapter 18.25 RCW,
to workers injured during the course of their employment. Such care shall
be provided at the least cost consistent with promptness and efficiency,
without discrimination or favoritism, and with as great uniformity as the
various and diverse surrounding circumstances and locations of industries will
permit and to that end shall, from time to time, establish and ((promulgate))
adopt and supervise the administration of printed forms, rules, ((regulations,))
and practices for the furnishing of such care and treatment: PROVIDED, That,
the department may recommend to an injured worker particular health care
services and providers where specialized treatment is indicated or where cost
effective payment levels or rates are obtained by the department: AND PROVIDED
FURTHER, That the department may enter into contracts for goods and services
including, but not limited to, durable medical equipment so long as state-wide
access to quality service is maintained for injured workers.
The director shall make and, from time to time, change as may be, and promulgate a fee bill of the maximum charges to be made by any physician, surgeon, hospital, druggist, physicians' assistants as defined in chapters 18.57A and 18.71A RCW, acting under a supervising physician or other agency or person rendering services to injured workers. No service covered under this title shall be charged or paid at a rate or rates exceeding those specified in such fee bill, and no contract providing for greater fees shall be valid as to the excess.
The
director or self-insurer, as the case may be, shall make a record of the
commencement of every disability and the termination thereof and, when bills
are rendered for the care and treatment of injured workers, shall approve and
pay those which conform to the ((promulgated)) adopted rules((,
regulations,)) and practices of the director and may reject any bill or
item thereof incurred in violation of the principles laid down in this section
or the rules ((and regulations promulgated)) adopted under it.