S-4153.1  _______________________________________________

 

                         SENATE BILL 6569

          _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1996 Regular Session

 

By Senators Schow, Swecker, Deccio, Hale, Oke and Winsley

 

Read first time 01/18/96.  Referred to Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care.

 

Requiring the department of health to study and develop recommendations for financing trauma care.



    AN ACT Relating to trauma care; and creating new sections.

 

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

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that the financing and delivery of trauma care is both complicated and expensive for providers treating trauma patients without health insurance.  It is the intent of the legislature to develop a system of financing trauma services that encourages all residents of the state to take financial responsibility for their health care either by carrying health insurance that will provide for their trauma care needs or maintaining sufficient resources to cover those needs.  The basic health plan is affordable and accessible to all families in Washington and greater efforts should be made by the health care authority and other state agencies to make the availability of this state subsidized insurance known and to facilitate enrollment.  The legislature encourages state government to encourage the utilization of the incentives and state agency financing to increase the enrollment in the basic health plan, focused on populations most likely to experience the need for trauma services and geographic locations where trauma services are experiencing significant uncompensated care.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  The department of health shall provide, or cause to be provided, to the legislature, by July 1, 1997, a study on the cost, charges, expenses, and levels of reimbursement associated with providers of trauma care services.  In addition, the department shall recommend a variety of options for financing uncompensated trauma services utilizing, to the greatest extent possible, private sector resources and holding individuals responsible for their own care as much as possible, while ensuring a fair and equitable funding system that provides reimbursement for uncompensated care and provides financial assistance for trauma services on behalf of trauma patients for whom other financial resources are not available.

    (1) The department is encouraged to solicit and review, as appropriate, the suggestions and views of other interested parties, including health providers and facilities, business owners and organizations, financial institutions, and health and casualty insurance carriers in completing the study and formulating the recommendations and options.

    (2) The recommendations must include an evaluation of the effectiveness of the basic health plan and private sector health plans in insuring individuals against catastrophic expenditures related to trauma.

 


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