CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5597

Chapter 502, Laws of 2007

60th Legislature
2007 Regular Session



CHIROPRACTORS--INSURANCE



EFFECTIVE DATE: 01/01/08

Passed by the Senate April 14, 2007
  YEAS 41   NAYS 6

BRAD OWEN
________________________________________    
President of the Senate
Passed by the House April 6, 2007
  YEAS 84   NAYS 10

FRANK CHOPP
________________________________________    
Speaker of the House of Representatives


 
CERTIFICATE

I, Thomas Hoemann, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5597 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth.

THOMAS HOEMANN
________________________________________    
Secretary
Approved May 15, 2007, 2:54 p.m.








CHRISTINE GREGOIRE
________________________________________    
Governor of the State of Washington
 
FILED
May 16, 2007







Secretary of State
State of Washington


_____________________________________________ 

SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5597
_____________________________________________

AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

Passed Legislature - 2007 Regular Session
State of Washington60th Legislature2007 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Franklin, Benton, Zarelli, Kauffman, Kline, Carrell, Poulsen, Keiser, Kohl-Welles, Delvin and Roach)

READ FIRST TIME 03/05/07.   



     AN ACT Relating to contracts with chiropractors; amending RCW 41.05.017; adding a new section to chapter 48.43 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an effective date.

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) A health carrier must reimburse a chiropractor who has signed a participating provider agreement for services determined by the carrier to be medically necessary if:
     (a) The service is:
     (i) Covered chiropractic health care, as defined in RCW 48.43.515, by the health plan under which the enrollee received the services; and
     (ii) Provided by the chiropractor, or the chiropractor's employee specified in RCW 18.25.190 (2) or (3) who works in the same location as the chiropractor and to whom the chiropractor, pursuant to rules adopted by the Washington state chiropractic quality assurance commission, has delegated the service. The employee must meet the health carrier's reasonable qualifications for all such providers in the relevant class, including but not limited to standards for education and background checks, as applicable; and
     (b) The chiropractor complies with the terms and conditions of the participating provider agreement. Violations of the participating provider agreement by an employee of the chiropractor to whom he or she has delegated a service may be deemed by the carrier to have been committed by the chiropractor.
     (2) If a health carrier offers a participating provider agreement to a chiropractor within a single practice organized as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation, the carrier must offer the same participating provider agreement to any other chiropractor within that practice providing services at the same location. The agreement may allow either party to terminate it without cause.

Sec. 2   RCW 41.05.017 and 2000 c 5 s 20 are each amended to read as follows:
     Each health plan that provides medical insurance offered under this chapter, including plans created by insuring entities, plans not subject to the provisions of Title 48 RCW, and plans created under RCW 41.05.140, are subject to the provisions of RCW 48.43.500, 70.02.045, 48.43.505 through 48.43.535, 43.70.235, 48.43.545, 48.43.550, 70.02.110, ((and)) 70.02.900, and section 1 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   This act does not affect any existing right acquired or liability or obligation incurred prior to the effective date of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   This act takes effect January 1, 2008.


         Passed by the Senate April 14, 2007.
         Passed by the House April 6, 2007.
         Approved by the Governor May 15, 2007.
         Filed in Office of Secretary of State May 16, 2007.