BILL REQ. #:  H-2315.1 



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HOUSE BILL 2296
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State of Washington61st Legislature2009 Regular Session

By Representatives Green and Moeller

  



     AN ACT Relating to fees for initial medicare certification surveys conducted by the department of health; and amending RCW 43.70.125.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 43.70.125 and 2007 c 279 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The federal government requires Washington health care facilities to be certified in order to receive federal health care program reimbursement. The department receives funding from the federal government to perform the ((certifications and recertifications)) initial medicare certification surveys of these health care facilities. When the federal government does not provide sufficient funding to cover all ((certifications and recertifications)) applicant requests for initial medicare certification surveys, the secretary ((may)) must assess fees on ((certification and recertification)) the applicants to fund the ((certifications and recertifications)) initial medicare certification surveys, as provided in this section.
     (2)(a) When informed by the department that the centers for medicare and medicaid services did not provide adequate federal funding to do initial medicare certification surveys, an applicant for a survey may pay the department a fee to conduct the survey as follows:

Ambulatory surgery center$1,575
Critical access hospital$1,750
End-stage renal disease facility$850
Home health agency$1,985
Hospice agency$1,985
Hospital$1,750
Rehabilitation facility$450
Rural health clinic$600
Transplant hospital$850


     (b) If the applicant does not pay the fee, the department has no obligation to conduct the initial medicare certification surveys.
     (3) Nothing in this section precludes an applicant from obtaining an initial medicare certification survey from a national accreditation organization recognized for this purpose by the centers for medicare and medicaid services.
     (4) For the purposes of this section, "initial medicare certification survey" means an on-site visit conducted by department staff for the purpose of determining compliance with medicare regulations. This survey is required before a health care facility can receive medicare or medicaid reimbursement.

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