BILL REQ. #: H-4973.1
| State of Washington | 59th Legislature | 2006 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/03/06.
AN ACT Relating to health care provider contracting; adding a new section to chapter 48.43 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 A new section is added to chapter 48.43 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) Every health carrier, insurer, and other organization engaged
in the business of creating provider networks shall comply with the
provisions of this section in selecting and contracting with health
care providers. For the purpose of this section, "contractor" refers
to health carriers, insurers, and other organizations engaged in the
business of creating provider networks.
(2) Contractors may not discriminate against various classes of
health care practitioners by adopting health care network selection and
credentialing standards that permit selection and credentialing of
clinics of only one or certain classes of practitioners. For example
and not as a limitation of this subsection, if a contractor permits a
clinic comprising physicians and nurses to contract on a clinic rather
than upon an individual basis, the contractor must permit a clinic
comprising chiropractors and licensed massage therapists to contract on
a clinic rather than upon an individual basis.
(3) Contractors may not refuse to contract with a provider or
providers who purchase the practice of an existing contracted provider
if the purchasing provider or providers otherwise meet the
credentialing standards of the contractor.
(4) Contractors may not refuse to contract with a provider who
works as an employee of a contracted provider if the employee otherwise
meets the credentialing standards of the contractor.
(5) No contractor may directly or indirectly require a health care
provider to participate in all plans, programs, and health care
arrangements as a condition for participating in any of the
contractor's other plans, programs, or health care arrangements. For
example and not as a limitation of this subsection, a contractor may
not require a provider who has agreed to furnish care to enrollees of
a health plan to also participate in a discount program for uninsured
health care services or to participate in a property casualty insurance
program.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 The insurance commissioner may adopt rules
necessary to implement this act.