BP BHEAD INT H

AN ACT Relating to long-term care benefits for public employees; and amending RCW 41.05.065.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 41.05.065 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 6 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The board shall study all matters connected with the provision of health care coverage, life insurance, liability insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, and disability income insurance or any of, or a combination of, the enumerated types of insurance for employees and their dependents on the best basis possible with relation both to the welfare of the employees and to the state. However, liability insurance shall not be made available to dependents.

(2) The board shall develop employee benefit plans that include comprehensive health care benefits for all employees. In developing these plans, the board shall consider the following elements:

(a) Methods of maximizing cost containment while ensuring access to quality health care;

(b) Development of provider arrangements that encourage cost containment and ensure access to quality care, including but not limited to prepaid delivery systems and prospective payment methods;

(c) Wellness incentives that focus on proven strategies, such as smoking cessation, injury and accident prevention, reduction of alcohol misuse, appropriate weight reduction, exercise, automobile and motorcycle safety, blood cholesterol reduction, and nutrition education;

(d) Utilization review procedures including, but not limited to a cost-efficient method for prior authorization of services, hospital inpatient length of stay review, requirements for use of outpatient surgeries and second opinions for surgeries, review of invoices or claims submitted by service providers, and performance audit of providers;

(e) Effective coordination of benefits;

(f) Minimum standards for insuring entities; and

(g) Minimum scope and content of public employee benefit plans to be offered to enrollees participating in the employee health benefit plans. To maintain the comprehensive nature of employee health care benefits, employee eligibility criteria related to the number of hours worked and the benefits provided to employees shall be substantially equivalent to the state employees' health benefits plan and eligibility criteria in effect on January 1, 1993. Nothing in this subsection (2)(g) shall prohibit changes or increases in employee point-of-service payments or employee premium payments for benefits.

(3) The board shall design benefits and determine the terms and conditions of employee participation and coverage, including establishment of eligibility criteria.

(4) The board may authorize premium contributions for an employee and the employee's dependents in a manner that encourages the use of cost-efficient managed health care systems.

(5) Employees shall choose participation in one of the health care benefit plans developed by the board and may be permitted to waive coverage under terms and conditions established by the board.

(6) The board shall review plans proposed by insuring entities that desire to offer property insurance and/or accident and casualty insurance to state employees through payroll deduction. The board may approve any such plan for payroll deduction by insuring entities holding a valid certificate of authority in the state of Washington and which the board determines to be in the best interests of employees and the state. The board shall promulgate rules setting forth criteria by which it shall evaluate the plans.

(7) Effective January 1, 1997, the public employees' benefits board shall design and make available one or more long-term care insurance plans for all employees and retired employees and shall include insurance protection options for the employees' spouse and children and parents of either the employee or the spouse.

(a) Participation of employees or retired employees in any long-term care insurance plan or plans designed and made available by the public employees' benefits board is voluntary.

(b) The employee or retired employee is responsible for payment of any and all premium amounts.

(c) The state shall make an automatic payroll deduction system available to employees for purposes of making long-term care insurance premium payments.

(d) The public employees' benefits board, when designing a long-term care insurance plan or plans, shall, at a minimum, include the services offered by or in:

(i) Nursing facilities licensed pursuant to chapter 18.51 RCW;

(ii) Boarding homes licensed pursuant to chapter 18.20 RCW;

(iii) Adult family homes licensed pursuant to chapter 70.128 RCW; and

(iv) Home health, hospice, and home care agencies licensed pursuant to chapter 70.127 RCW.