H-3242.3  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2461

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2002 Regular Session

By Representatives Schual‑Berke, Campbell, Cody, Edwards, Conway, Darneille, Lysen, Chase, Wood, Pflug and Kenney

Read first time 01/17/2002.  Referred to Committee on Health Care.

Requiring legislative approval of federal waivers to the medical assistance program.

    AN ACT Relating to federal waiver requests affecting the medical assistance program; and adding a new section to chapter 43.20A RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 43.20A RCW to read as follows:

    (1) For section 1115 federal demonstration waiver requests that were submitted to the federal government prior to the effective date of this act, the department shall submit any approved waivers to the senate committee on health and long-term care and the house of representatives committee on health care for their consideration.  The department shall provide the legislative committees with all necessary information to ensure a full public discussion of the implications and potential impacts of the waiver.  The department shall include full details regarding the applicants and recipients to be affected by the proposed changes, the proposed changes in benefits, services, eligibility, enrollment and application processing, and cost-sharing, preexisting conditions and penalties, and an anticipated implementation date of the proposed changes.

    (2) The department shall request legislative approval prior to implementing any section 1115 federal demonstration waivers modifying the medical assistance program that have been approved by the federal government.

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