HB 3016-S - DIGEST

(SUBSTITUTED FOR - SEE 2ND SUB)

     Provides that payments for recipients eligible for medical assistance programs under chapter 74.09 RCW for services provided by hospitals, regardless of the beneficiary's managed care enrollment status, shall be a cost-based reimbursement, as defined by the hospital's cost to charge ratio, when services are provided by a rural hospital that either:  (1) Has been certified by the health care financing administration as a critical access hospital; or

     (2) meets the geographic criteria for a critical access hospital and has no more than twenty-five available beds, with not more than fifteen acute care beds and ten swing beds.  Any additional payments made by the medical assistance administration for the healthy options program shall be no more than the additional amounts per service paid under this act for other medical assistance programs.

     Directs the department of social and health services to implement the program created in this act within sixty days of the effective date of this act regardless of the beneficiary's managed care status.