BILL REQ. #:  H-0489.1 

Read first time 01/22/2003.   Referred to Committee on Health Care.

     AN ACT Relating to bed hold for boarding home residents; and adding a new section to chapter 18.20 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 18.20 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) When a boarding home contracts with the department to provide adult residential care services, enhanced adult residential care services, or assisted living services under chapter 74.39A RCW, the boarding home must hold a medicaid eligible resident's room or unit when short-term care is needed in a nursing home or hospital, the resident is likely to return to the boarding home, and payment is made under subsection (2) of this section.
     (2) The medicaid resident's bed or unit shall be held for a period of time consistent with the funding that is available to compensate the boarding home for holding the bed or unit. The per day bed or unit hold compensation amount shall be seventy percent of the daily rate paid for the resident who needs short-term nursing home care or hospitalization.
     (3) If the department is unable to compensate the boarding home provider in the amount specified in subsection (2) of this section, or cannot fully cover the number of days needed, the bed or unit hold will, at that time, become a noncovered medicaid service and the boarding home may seek third party payment. If neither the department nor any available third party is able or willing to pay for bed or unit hold for short-term nursing home or hospitalization stay, the medicaid resident may return to the first available and appropriate bed or unit, if the resident continues to meet the admission criteria under this chapter.