BILL REQ. #:  S-3655.2 

Read first time 01/09/2006.   Referred to Committee on Health & Long-Term Care.

     AN ACT Relating to establishing a pilot project to assist independent providers with collecting community options program entry system client participation money; creating new sections; providing an effective date; providing an expiration date; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) A twelve month, one county, community options program entry system pilot project is established. The purpose of the pilot project is to assist independent providers with the collection of community options program entry system client participation money.
     (2) The department of social and health services will administer the pilot project by contracting with a third party to collect the participation amount owed to the independent provider. The third party must first pay the independent provider the provider's full wage, including participation amount, less five percent to offset the third party cost of collection. The third party will then collect the participation amount from the client.
     (3) Independent providers wishing to participate in the pilot project must meet participation criteria established by the department and be authorized by area agency of aging case managers and home care services case managers.
     (4) A third party wishing to participate in the project must demonstrate to the department of social and health services that it has the capability to manage the pilot project and demonstrate that it has successfully worked with frail seniors, collected participation amounts, and managed issues of home care workers.
     (5) The pilot project is to take place in a county chosen by the department of social and health services based on need and the ability to gather data for the reporting requirement in section 2 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The department of social and health services must report on the results of the pilot project to the appropriate committees of the legislature. The report must be in two phases. The first report must be made by December 1, 2006, and the final report must be made by June 1, 2007. The final report must include recommendations for funding a future program including a revenue neutral option, an analysis as to why participation is not being paid and any available solutions, and a comparison of collected amounts under the pilot project to collected amounts without the pilot project to determine whether the pilot project is cost-effective.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect June 1, 2006.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   This act expires July 1, 2007.