READ FIRST TIME 02/08/08.   

     AN ACT Relating to establishing a work group on primary care medical practice; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that the citizens of Washington deserve primary care physicians that they can trust and rely upon for their health and illness care.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1)(a) The work group on primary care medical practice is established, with members as provided in this subsection:
     (i) The president of the senate shall appoint one member from each caucus of the senate.
     (ii) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint one member from each caucus of the house of representatives.
     (iii) The director of the health care authority shall appoint:
     (A) Four persons representing primary care physicians practicing in the state, one of whom practices in a rural county, as defined in RCW 82.14.370;
     (B) One member representing community clinics;
     (C) Two members representing health plans, including one representing a fee-for-service provider and one representing a managed care provider; and
     (D) One member representing the health care authority.
     (b) The health care authority representative shall chair the work group.
     (2) The work group shall examine ways to recruit and retain primary care physicians in the state, including, but not limited to, such strategies as:
     (a) Providing greater reimbursement rates for primary care physicians;
     (b) Ensuring that all patients have access to and know how to use a nurse consultant;
     (c) Encouraging female patients to have a mammogram on the evidence-based recommended schedule;
     (d) Effectively implementing strategies designed to reduce patients' use of nonemergent emergency room care;
     (e) Communicating with patients through electronic means; and
     (f) Effectively managing blood sugar levels of patients with diabetes.
     (3) The work group may consult with individuals from the public and private sector or ask such persons to establish an advisory committee. Members of the advisory committee are not entitled to expense reimbursement.
     (4) The work group shall use legislative facilities, and staff support shall be provided by senate committee services and the house of representatives office of program research.
     (5) Legislative members of the work group shall be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120. Nonlegislative members, except those representing an employer or organization, are entitled to be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
     (6) The expenses of the work group shall be paid jointly by the senate and the house of representatives. Work group expenditures are subject to approval by the senate facilities and operations committee and the house executive rules committee, or their successor committees.
     (7) The work group shall report its findings and recommendations to the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2008.
     (8) The work group shall report its findings and recommendations to the office of financial management by December 1, 2008, for consideration in the office of financial management's study of the primary care system, pursuant to Substitute Senate Bill No. 6282 (2008).
     (9) This section expires December 31, 2008.