BILL REQ. #:  H-1775.1 

Read first time 02/17/2005.   Referred to Committee on Health Care.

     AN ACT Relating to long-term care insurance; and amending RCW 48.84.020.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 48.84.020 and 1986 c 170 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     Unless the context requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.
     (1) "Long-term care insurance" or "long-term care benefit contract" means any insurance policy or benefit contract primarily advertised, marketed, offered, or designed to provide coverage or services for either institutional or community-based convalescent, custodial, chronic, or terminally ill care. Such terms include adult family homes, boarding homes, and assisted living facilities. Such terms do not include and this chapter shall not apply to policies or contracts governed by chapter 48.66 RCW and continuing care retirement communities.
     (2) "Loss ratio" means the incurred claims plus or minus the increase or decrease in reserves as a percentage of the earned premiums, or the projected incurred claims plus or minus the increase or decrease in projected reserves as a percentage of projected earned premiums, as defined by the commissioner.
     (3) "Preexisting condition" means a covered person's medical condition that caused that person to have received medical advice or treatment during the specified time period before the effective date of coverage.
     (4) "Medicare" means Title XVIII of the United States social security act, or its successor program.
     (5) "Medicaid" means Title XIX of the United States social security act, or its successor program.
     (6) "Nursing home" means a nursing home as defined in RCW 18.51.010.