AN ACT Relating to defining "reasonable effort" for the purposes of health data and charity care; and amending RCW 70.170.020.

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

Sec. 1.  RCW 70.170.020 and 1995 c 269 s 2203 are each amended to read as follows:

As used in this chapter:

(1) "Department" means department of health.

(2) "Hospital" means any health care institution which is required to qualify for a license under RCW 70.41.020(((2))) (5); or as a psychiatric hospital under chapter 71.12 RCW.

(3) "Secretary" means secretary of health.

(4) "Charity care" means necessary hospital health care rendered to indigent persons, to the extent that the persons are unable to pay for the care or to pay deductibles or co-insurance amounts required by a third-party payer, as determined by the department.

(5) "Reasonable effort" means that a hospital has filed and operates with a department-approved charity care policy and maintains records demonstrating that it has operated in compliance with that policy.

(6) "Sliding fee schedule" means a hospital-determined, publicly available schedule of discounts to charges for persons deemed eligible for charity care; such schedules shall be established after consideration of guidelines developed by the department.

(((6))) (7) "Special studies" means studies which have not been funded through the department's biennial or other legislative appropriations.

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