S-1489.2 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 5854
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 54th Legislature 1995 Regular Session
By Senators Haugen, Spanel, Wood, Prentice, Winsley, Rasmussen, Hale, Kohl, McCaslin, Fairley, Long, Loveland, Franklin, Roach, Moyer, Quigley, McAuliffe, Drew and Wojahn
Read first time 02/09/95. Referred to Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care.
AN ACT Relating to women's health care; adding a new section to chapter 48.01 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that:
(1) The specialty of obstetrics/gynecology is devoted to the preventive health care of women throughout their lifetime;
(2) Significant numbers of women view their obstetrician/gynecologist as their primary or only physician. For many women an obstetrician/gynecologist is often the only physician they see regularly during their reproductive years. According to a 1993 Gallup poll, women are more likely to have had a physician examination within the last two years from an obstetrician/gynecologist than from any other type of physician, and a majority of these women consider their obstetrician/gynecologist to be their primary care physician;
(3) A general medical examination was the second most frequently cited purpose for patient visits to obstetricians/gynecologists in 1989 and 1990, accounting for seven million visits each year, according to data gathered by the National Center for Health Statistics;
(4) Women are opposed to restrictions in accessing obstetricians/gynecologists. Among women who have health coverage, a Gallup poll reported that seventy-eight percent can currently access their obstetrician/gynecologist without going through a gatekeeper. Seventy-five percent of these women would object to requirements that they be referred by another physician or gatekeeper before they may see their obstetrician/gynecologist. Similarly seventy-four percent of those who now have restricted access to obstetricians/gynecologists would approve of a system that would eliminate the need for a referral;
(5) Obstetricians/gynecologists refer their patients less frequently than other primary care physicians, avoiding costly and time-consuming referrals to specialists; and
(6) More than two-thirds of all visits to obstetricians/gynecologists were made by established patients of the physician returning for care of their condition according to data gathered by the National Center for Health Statistics. Only four and seven-tenths percent of patient visits resulted from referrals from another physician.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 48.01 RCW to read as follows:
Health care services provided under a plan as defined in RCW 43.72.010 or by a provider network must include identification of obstetricians and gynecologists who may be chosen as primary care providers by enrollees. "Primary care provider" as used in this section means that health care provider a person first consults and may include a person who refers a patient to another provider. Obstetricians and gynecologists under this section must be graduated from a school approved and accredited by the medical care quality assurance commission under chapter 18.71 RCW.
--- END ---