BILL REQ. #: H-3672.1
State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2012 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 01/17/12.
AN ACT Relating to air rescue or evacuation services; and amending RCW 48.01.280.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 48.01.280 and 2006 c 61 s 1 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) A private air ambulance service that solicits membership
subscriptions, accepts membership applications, charges membership
fees, and provides air ambulance services, to subscription members and
designated members of their household is not an insurer under RCW
48.01.050, a health carrier under chapter 48.43 RCW, a health care
services contractor under chapter 48.44 RCW, or a health maintenance
organization under chapter 48.46 RCW if the private air ambulance
service:
(((1))) (a) Is licensed in accordance with RCW 18.73.130;
(((2))) (b) Attains and maintains accreditation by the commission
on accreditation of medical transport services or another accrediting
organization approved by the department of health as having equivalent
requirements as the commission for aeromedical transport;
(((3))) (c) Has been in operation in Washington for at least two
years; and
(((4))) (d) Has submitted evidence of its compliance with this
section, the licensing requirements of RCW 18.73.130, and accreditation
from the commission or another accrediting organization approved by the
department of health as having equivalent requirements as the
commission for aeromedical transport to the commissioner.
(2) A subscription service that solicits membership subscriptions,
charges membership fees, and provides rescue, evacuation, emergency
transport, and crisis management and consulting services related to an
emergency while traveling more than one hundred miles away from home,
to its members or designated members of a member's household is not an
insurer under RCW 48.01.050, a health carrier under chapter 48.43 RCW,
a health care services contractor under chapter 48.44 RCW, or a health
maintenance organization under chapter 48.46 RCW. Rescue, evacuation,
emergency transport, and crisis management and consulting services
related to an emergency, include the following:
(a) Providing rescue, evacuation, and emergency transport and
crisis management services related to the emergency;
(b) Locator services for medical and legal professionals;
(c) Visa and passport services;
(d) Emergency message services;
(e) Emergency-related travel and emergency-related services and
information;
(f) Transport of human remains; and
(g) Other services established by rule of the commissioner.
(3) A subscription service that provides rescue, evacuation,
emergency transport, and crisis management and consulting services
related to an emergency as described in subsection (2) of this section
must satisfy, or contract with a service provider which satisfies, the
licensing requirements, if any, of the jurisdiction in which the
services are provided. The requirements of subsection (1) of this
section must be satisfied when providing air ambulance services within
the state of Washington.
(4) It is not required that a subscription service under subsection
(1) or (2) of this section own the vehicles, planes, helicopters, other
aircraft, maritime vessels, or other means of transportation that will
be used to provide the contracted services.