(1) Each health maintenance organization obtaining a certificate of registration from the commissioner shall provide and maintain a funded reserve of one hundred fifty thousand dollars. The funded reserve shall be deposited with the commissioner or with any organization/trustee acceptable to him or her in the form of cash, securities eligible for investment by the health maintenance organization pursuant to chapter
48.13 RCW, approved surety bond or any combination of these, and must equal or exceed one hundred fifty thousand dollars. The funded reserve shall be established as an assurance that the uncovered expenditure obligations of the health maintenance organization to the enrolled participants will be performed.
(2) All income from reserves on deposit with the commissioner shall belong to the depositing health maintenance organization and shall be paid to it as it becomes available.
(3) Any funded reserve required by this section shall be considered an asset of the health maintenance organization in determining the organization's net worth.
(4) A health maintenance organization that has made a securities deposit with the commissioner may, at its option, withdraw the securities deposit or any part of the deposit after first having deposited or provided in lieu thereof an approved surety bond, a deposit of cash or securities, or any combination of these or other deposits of equal amount and value to that withdrawn. Any securities and surety bond shall be subject to approval by the commissioner before being substituted.