BILL REQ. #:  H-2495.1 

READ FIRST TIME 03/07/05.   

     AN ACT Relating to increasing access to health services for children through the "kids get care" service delivery model; adding a new section to chapter 43.70 RCW; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that the health of the children of Washington state is critical to their success in school and throughout their lives. While health insurance coverage is a substantial component of achieving better health outcomes for children, ensuring access to essential preventive and well-child health services is equally important. Preventive and well-child health services are a cost-effective investment of both public and private dollars that improves the health of children and of our communities at large.
     (2) The legislature further finds that "kids get care" assures that integrated preventive medical, oral, and developmental health services are provided to young children. Improving the delivery of well child visits, preventive oral health services, and developmental screening can reduce the need for hospitalization, caries treatment, and developmental interventions. "Kids get care" expands the use of evidence-based preventive measures in community health centers and private medical practices that treat many low-income children. "Kids get care" also strengthens the connections between social service agencies working with low-income families and local health care providers.
     (3) It is therefore the intent of the legislature to facilitate low-income children's access to appropriate preventive and well-child services and to other necessary health, mental health, and dental services by supporting the extension of the successful "kids get care" model for delivering health services to children.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.70 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The department of health shall develop and implement best practices in preventive health care for children statewide. The department of health and the "kids get care" program of public health -Seattle and King county shall work in collaboration with local health care agencies and providers to disseminate strategic interventions that are focused on evidence-based best practices for improving health outcomes in children and saving health care costs. An interim report shall be provided to the appropriate committees of the legislature by June 30, 2006, on the program's effectiveness and cost savings. A final report shall be provided by June 30, 2007. The department of health and the kids get care program of public health - Seattle and King county shall work with the department of social and health services to obtain any federal medicaid matching funds that could be available to support the services of kids get care sites.
     (2) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, and subject to any conditions and limitations in the appropriations act:
     (a) The department shall support the infrastructure of the children's preventive health care collaborative, a structured set of learning sessions to train medical practices about kids get care. State appropriations shall be matched by an equal amount of local funding;
     (b) The department shall support five additional kids get care sites to be implemented during fiscal year 2006 and ten additional kids get care sites to be implemented during fiscal year 2007. The sites shall use the services of a case manager and public health educator to enhance the ability of health care providers to meet the needs of low-income children in their care; and
     (c) The department shall support a structured evaluation of the kids get care service delivery model. Preventive health care measures and cost data shall be collected. Outcomes for children cared for by clinics that are kids get care sites shall be compared to outcomes for children not receiving care at kids get care sites.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   If specific funding for this act is not referenced by bill or chapter number in the biennial omnibus appropriations act by June 30, 2005, this act is null and void.