S-0369.3                   _______________________________________________

 

                                                     SENATE BILL 5201

                              _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1993 Regular Session

 

By Senators Skratek, Roach, L. Smith, Loveland, Niemi, Prentice, Moore, von Reichbauer, Bluechel, Pelz and Erwin

 

Read first time 01/15/93.  Referred to Committee on Health & Human Services.

 

Providing for a naturopathic pilot program for state employees and basic health plan enrollees.


          AN ACT Relating to a naturopath pilot program for basic health plan and health care authority coverage; and adding a new section to chapter 41.05 RCW.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

          NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 41.05 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) The legislature finds that the existing statutory system of health care regulation strongly favors allopathic medical care.  The legislature finds that naturopathic medicine may provide a cost-effective alternative to allopathic medical care.  A limited pilot program will help provide needed information to determine the following:  If naturopathic care as primary care is made widely available through managed health care plans(a) would persons choose it, (b) would the health outcomes of these naturopathic care patients be better or worse than similarly situated allopathic care patients, and (c) would the availability of naturopathic care be effective in containing costs.

          (2)(a) The state health care authority shall establish a pilot program that is designed to determine whether the availability of naturopathic care will result in improved health outcomes and cost savings.

          (b) The pilot program shall be made available to state employees covered by the state health care authority under this chapter and to enrollees of the basic health plan under chapter 70.47 RCW.

          (c) The pilot program shall provide that state employees and basic health plan enrollees may voluntarily choose a health care benefit plan or managed health care system in which primary clinical care and clinical decision making is performed by naturopathic physicians licensed under chapter 18.36A RCW.

          (d) The capitated rate under the pilot program must be no greater than the average cost under managed health care systems.

          (e) As a condition to enrollment in the pilot program, participants waive the right to legal action against the state or any of its agencies for care provided by naturopathic physicians under the scope of this section.

          (3) The health care authority shall report to the legislature by December 1, 1995, on the results of the pilot program.

 


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