S-1384               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 5824

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Senators Johnson and McMullen

Read first time 2/9/89 and referred to Committee on  Health Care & Corrections.

AN ACT Relating to payments by health care service contractors; and amending RCW 48.44.026.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 1, chapter 168, Laws of 1982 as amended by section 1, chapter 283, Laws of 1984 and RCW 48.44.026 are each amended to read as follows:

          Checks in payment for claims pursuant to any health care service contract for health care services provided by persons licensed or regulated under chapters 18.22, 18.25, 18.29, 18.32, 18.53, 18.57, 18.71, 18.74, 18.83, or 18.88 RCW, where the provider is not a participant under a contract with the health care service contractor, shall be made out to both the provider and the insured with the provider as the first named payee, jointly, to require endorsement by each:  PROVIDED, That payment shall be made in the single name of the insured if the insured as part of his or her claim furnishes evidence of prepayment to the health care service provider:  AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That nothing in this section shall preclude a health care service contractor from voluntarily issuing payment in the single name of the provider.