H-4171.1 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 3098
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State of Washington 56th Legislature 2000 Regular Session
By Representatives Parlette, Cody and Edwards
Read first time 01/31/2000. Referred to Committee on Health Care.
AN ACT Relating to uniform prescription drug information cards; adding a new section to chapter 48.43 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. It is the intent of the legislature to lessen patients' waiting times, decrease administrative burdens for pharmacies, and improve care to patients by minimizing confusion, eliminating unnecessary paperwork, and streamlining dispensing of prescription products paid for by third-party payors. This act should be broadly applied and interpreted to effectuate this purpose.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 48.43 RCW to read as follows:
(1) Every health benefit plan that provides coverage for prescription drugs or devices, or administers such a plan, including but not limited to third-party administrators for self-insured plans and state-administered plans, shall issue to its insured a card or other technology containing uniform prescription drug information. The uniform prescription drug information card or technology shall be in the format approved by the national council for prescription drug programs and shall include all of the required and conditional or situational fields and conform to the most recent pharmacy identification card or technology implementation guide produced by the council or conform to a national format acceptable to the insurance commissioner.
(2) A new uniform prescription drug information card or technology, as required under subsection (1) of this section shall be issued by a health benefit plan upon enrollment and reissued upon any change in the insured coverage that impacts data contained on the card or upon any change in the council implementation guide. Newly issued cards or technology shall be updated with the latest coverage information and shall conform to the council standards then in effect and to the implementation guide then in use.
(3)(a) This section applies to health benefit plans that are delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on and after January 1, 2000. For purposes of this section, renewal of a health benefit policy, contract, or plan occurs on each anniversary of the date on which coverage was first effective on the person or persons covered by the health benefit plan.
(b) Enforcement of this section is the responsibility of the insurance commissioner. The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary. No health benefit plan may be permitted to conduct business in this state if it is in violation of this section.
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