Z-0668.1
SENATE BILL 6167
State of Washington
64th Legislature
2016 Regular Session
By Senators Angel and Mullet; by request of Insurance Commissioner
Prefiled 01/06/16. Read first time 01/11/16. Referred to Committee on Health Care.
AN ACT Relating to the filing and public disclosure of health care provider compensation; reenacting and amending RCW 42.56.400; reenacting RCW 48.46.243; creating a new section; repealing RCW 48.44.070; and repealing 2015 c 122 s 24, 2015 c 17 s 16, and 2013 c 277 s 6 (uncodified).
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  It is the intent of the legislature to allow certain provider compensation exhibits to remain confidential by making permanent the provisions of chapter 277, Laws of 2013, which currently expire July 1, 2017, thereby maintaining efficient review and approval of health care plans by the insurance commissioner and fostering innovation in the Washington health insurance market.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  RCW 48.44.070 (Contracts to be filed with commissionerTemporary suspension) and 2013 c 277 s 2, 1990 c 120 s 9, 1965 c 87 s 2, & 1961 c 197 s 4 are each repealed.
Sec. 3.  RCW 48.46.243 and 2013 c 325 s 2 and 2013 c 277 s 3 are each reenacted to read as follows:
(1) Subject to subsection (2) of this section, every contract between a health maintenance organization and its participating providers of health care services shall be in writing and shall set forth that in the event the health maintenance organization fails to pay for health care services as set forth in the agreement, the enrolled participant shall not be liable to the provider for any sums owed by the health maintenance organization. Every such contract shall provide that this requirement shall survive termination of the contract.
(2) The provisions of subsection (1) of this section shall not apply:
(a) To emergency care from a provider who is not a participating provider;
(b) To out-of-area services;
(c) To the delivery of covered pediatric oral services that are substantially equal to the essential health benefits benchmark plan; or
(d) In exceptional situations approved in advance by the commissioner, if the health maintenance organization is unable to negotiate reasonable and cost-effective participating provider contracts.
(3) No participating provider, or insurance producer, trustee, or assignee thereof, may maintain an action against an enrolled participant to collect sums owed by the health maintenance organization.
Sec. 4.  RCW 42.56.400 and 2015 c 122 s 13 and 2015 c 17 s 10 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
The following information relating to insurance and financial institutions is exempt from disclosure under this chapter:
(1) Records maintained by the board of industrial insurance appeals that are related to appeals of crime victims' compensation claims filed with the board under RCW 7.68.110;
(2) Information obtained and exempted or withheld from public inspection by the health care authority under RCW 41.05.026, whether retained by the authority, transferred to another state purchased health care program by the authority, or transferred by the authority to a technical review committee created to facilitate the development, acquisition, or implementation of state purchased health care under chapter 41.05 RCW;
(3) The names and individual identification data of either all owners or all insureds, or both, received by the insurance commissioner under chapter 48.102 RCW;
(4) Information provided under RCW 48.30A.045 through 48.30A.060;
(5) Information provided under RCW 48.05.510 through 48.05.535, 48.43.200 through 48.43.225, 48.44.530 through 48.44.555, and 48.46.600 through 48.46.625;
(6) Examination reports and information obtained by the department of financial institutions from banks under RCW 30A.04.075, from savings banks under RCW 32.04.220, from savings and loan associations under RCW 33.04.110, from credit unions under RCW 31.12.565, from check cashers and sellers under RCW 31.45.030(3), and from securities brokers and investment advisers under RCW 21.20.100, all of which is confidential and privileged information;
(7) Information provided to the insurance commissioner under RCW 48.110.040(3);
(8) Documents, materials, or information obtained by the insurance commissioner under RCW 48.02.065, all of which are confidential and privileged;
(9) Documents, materials, or information obtained by the insurance commissioner under RCW 48.31B.015(2) (l) and (m), 48.31B.025, 48.31B.030, and 48.31B.035, all of which are confidential and privileged;
(10) Data filed under RCW 48.140.020, 48.140.030, 48.140.050, and 7.70.140 that, alone or in combination with any other data, may reveal the identity of a claimant, health care provider, health care facility, insuring entity, or self-insurer involved in a particular claim or a collection of claims. For the purposes of this subsection:
(a) "Claimant" has the same meaning as in RCW 48.140.010(2).
(b) "Health care facility" has the same meaning as in RCW 48.140.010(6).
(c) "Health care provider" has the same meaning as in RCW 48.140.010(7).
(d) "Insuring entity" has the same meaning as in RCW 48.140.010(8).
(e) "Self-insurer" has the same meaning as in RCW 48.140.010(11);
(11) Documents, materials, or information obtained by the insurance commissioner under RCW 48.135.060;
(12) Documents, materials, or information obtained by the insurance commissioner under RCW 48.37.060;
(13) Confidential and privileged documents obtained or produced by the insurance commissioner and identified in RCW 48.37.080;
(14) Documents, materials, or information obtained by the insurance commissioner under RCW 48.37.140;
(15) Documents, materials, or information obtained by the insurance commissioner under RCW 48.17.595;
(16) Documents, materials, or information obtained by the insurance commissioner under RCW 48.102.051(1) and 48.102.140 (3) and (7)(a)(ii);
(17) Documents, materials, or information obtained by the insurance commissioner in the commissioner's capacity as receiver under RCW 48.31.025 and 48.99.017, which are records under the jurisdiction and control of the receivership court. The commissioner is not required to search for, log, produce, or otherwise comply with the public records act for any records that the commissioner obtains under chapters 48.31 and 48.99 RCW in the commissioner's capacity as a receiver, except as directed by the receivership court;
(18) Documents, materials, or information obtained by the insurance commissioner under RCW 48.13.151;
(19) Data, information, and documents provided by a carrier pursuant to section 1, chapter 172, Laws of 2010;
(20) Information in a filing of usage-based insurance about the usage-based component of the rate pursuant to RCW 48.19.040(5)(b);
(21) Data, information, and documents, other than those described in RCW 48.02.210(2), that are submitted to the office of the insurance commissioner by an entity providing health care coverage pursuant to RCW 28A.400.275 and 48.02.210;
(22) Data, information, and documents obtained by the insurance commissioner under RCW 48.29.017;
(23) Information not subject to public inspection or public disclosure under RCW 48.43.730(5); and
(((23) [(24)])) (24) Documents, materials, or information obtained by the insurance commissioner under chapter 48.05A RCW.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5.  The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:
(1) 2015 c 122 s 24 (uncodified);
(2) 2015 c 17 s 16 (uncodified); and
(3) 2013 c 277 s 6 (uncodified).
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