| Passed by the House June 5, 2003 Yeas 92 ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate June 4, 2003 Yeas 47 ________________________________________ President of the Senate | I, Cynthia Zehnder, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1693 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. ________________________________________ Chief Clerk | |
| Approved ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | Secretary of State State of Washington |
| State of Washington | 58th Legislature | 2003 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 03/04/03.
AN ACT Relating to direct care component rate allocation; and amending RCW 74.46.508.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 74.46.508 and 1999 c 181 s 2 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1)(((a))) The department is authorized to increase the direct care
component rate allocation calculated under RCW 74.46.506(5) for
residents who have unmet exceptional care needs as determined by the
department in rule. The department may, by rule, establish criteria,
patient categories, and methods of exceptional care payment.
(((b) The department shall submit a report to the health care and
fiscal committees of the legislature by December 12, 2002, that
addresses:))
(i) The number of individuals on whose behalf exceptional care
payments have been made under this section, their diagnosis, and the
amount of the payments; and
(ii) An assessment as to whether the availability of exceptional
care payments resulted in more expedient placement of residents into
nursing homes and fewer and/or shorter hospitalizations.
(2)(((a))) The department ((shall)) may by ((January 1, 2000)) July
1, 2003, adopt rules and implement a system of exceptional care
payments for therapy care.
(((i))) (a) Payments may be made on behalf of facility residents
who are under age sixty-five, not eligible for medicare, and can
achieve significant progress in their functional status if provided
with intensive therapy care services.
(((ii) Payment under this subsection is limited to no more than
twelve facilities that have demonstrated excellence in therapy care,
based upon criteria defined by rule. A facility accredited by the
commission for accreditation of rehabilitation facilities (CARF) shall
be deemed to meet the criteria for demonstrated excellence in therapy
care. However, CARF accreditation is not required for payment under
this subsection.)) (b) Payments may be made only after approval of a
rehabilitation plan of care for each resident on whose behalf a payment
is made under this subsection, and each resident's progress must be
periodically monitored.
(iii)
(((b) The department shall submit a report to the health care and
fiscal committees of the legislature by December 12, 2002, that
addresses:))
(i) The number of individuals on whose behalf therapy payments were
made under this section, and the amount of the payments; and
(ii) An assessment as to whether the availability of exceptional
care payments for therapy care resulted in substantial progress in
residents' functional status, more expedient placement of residents
into less expensive settings, or other long-term cost savings.
(3) This section expires June 30, 2003.