WSR 98-03-077
PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY
DEPARTMENT OF
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Aging and Adult Services Administration)
[Filed January 21, 1998, 11:05 a.m.]
Subject of Possible Rule Making: To add a new section to chapter 388-96 WAC, Nursing home accounting and reimbursement system, to establish a public process for making changes to the Medicaid nursing facility payment rate methodology.
Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 74.08.090, 74.46.800 and 42 USC 1396a (a)(13)(A).
Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: To comply with Section 4711 of the federal 1997 Balanced Budget Act requiring states to adopt a public process for determining Medicaid payment rates to nursing facilities and other institutional providers; to preserve federal matching funds.
Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: Federal Department of Health and Human Services, Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA). Public process authorized by the rule submitted to HCFA as a state plan amendment, subject to HCFA approval.
Process for Developing New Rule: New rule based upon federal requirements in Section 4711, 1997 Balanced Budget Act. The Department of Social and Health Services welcomes comments and suggestions in the development of the proposed rule. Materials indicated below are available to assist those wishing to make comments. If you would like these materials or to make comments, contact the staff person listed below. After considering all comments, a copy of the notice of rule making (including the proposed rule text to be published) and a summary of all comments and the Department of Social and Health Services responses to them will be sent to all those participating and to those on the AASA Office of Rates Management WAC mailing list.
Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication. Call, write or FAX to receive copy of agency draft of rule and/or state plan amendment; or to make comments and suggestions to Robert Gray, Department of Social and Health Services, Aging and Adult Services Administration, P.O. Box 45600, Olympia, WA 98504-5600, phone (360) 493-2588, FAX (360) 493-9484.
January 20, 1998
Edith M. Rice, Chief
Office of Legal Affairs