The legislature finds that it is difficult for consumers of health care services to determine the quality of health care prior to purchase or utilization of medical care. The legislature also finds that accountability is a key component in promoting quality assurance and quality improvement throughout the health care delivery system, including public programs. Quality assurance and improvement standards are necessary to promote the public interest, contribute to cost efficiencies, and improve the ability of consumers to ascertain quality health care purchases.
The legislature intends to have consumers, health carriers, health care providers and facilities, and public agencies participate in the development of quality assurance and improvement standards that can be used to develop a uniform quality assurance program for use by all public and private health plans, providers, and facilities. To that end, in conducting the study required under RCW
43.70.066, the department of health shall:
(1) Consider the needs of consumers, employers, health care providers and facilities, and public and private health plans;
(2) Take full advantage of existing national standards of quality assurance to extend to middle-income populations the protections required for state management of health programs for low-income populations;
(3) Consider the appropriate minimum level of quality assurance standards that should be disclosed to consumers and employers by health care providers and facilities, and public and private health plans; and
(4) Consider standards that permit health care providers and facilities to share responsibility for participation in a uniform quality assurance program.