Before contracting for third-party administrator professional services, all self-insurance programs shall establish and maintain written procedures for contracting with third-party administrators. Entering a contract for services shall not relieve the governing body of the self-insurance program of its ultimate governing, managerial and financial responsibilities. The procedures shall, as a minimum:
(1) Provide a method of third-party administrator selection using a competitive solicitation process;
(2) Require a complete written description of the services to be provided, remuneration levels, contract period and expiration date;
(3) Provide for the confidentiality of the program's information, data and other intellectual property developed or shared during the course of the contract;
(4) Provide for the program's ownership of the information, data, and other intellectual property developed or shared during the course of the contract;
(5) Provide for the expressed authorization of the self-insurance program, consultants to the program, the state auditor, the state risk manager, or their designees, to enter the third-party administrator's premises to inspect and audit the records and performance of the third-party administrator which pertains to the program and to obtain such records electronically when audit travel costs can be eliminated or reduced;
(6) Require the compliance with all applicable local, state and federal laws;
(7) Establish a monitoring and acceptance procedure to determine compliance with third-party administrator contract requirements; and
(8) Establish indemnification provisions and set forth insurance requirements between the parties.
[Statutory Authority: RCW
48.62.061. WSR 17-22-048, § 200-110-100, filed 10/25/17, effective 11/25/17. Statutory Authority: 2011 c 43. WSR 11-23-093, recodified as § 200-110-100, filed 11/17/11, effective 11/17/11. Statutory Authority: RCW
48.62.061. WSR 10-20-102, § 82-65-100, filed 10/1/10, effective 11/1/10.]