_______________________________________________

                    ENGROSSED SENATE BILL 5437

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By Senators Thibaudeau, Deccio, Franklin, Heavey, Prentice, Sellar, Shin, Bauer, Kline, Winsley, Patterson and B. Sheldon

Read first time 01/22/1999.  Referred to Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care.

Reimbursing podiatric physicians and surgeons.

    AN ACT Relating to health maintenance organizations' reimbursement of podiatric physicians and surgeons; adding a new section to chapter 48.46 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 48.46 RCW to read as follows:

    Except to the extent that a health maintenance organization contracts with a group medical practice which only treats that organization's patients, a health maintenance organization may not discriminate in the terms and conditions, including reimbursement, for the provision of foot care services between physicians and surgeons licensed under chapters 18.22, 18.57, and 18.71 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  This act is intended to be procedural and not to impair the obligation of any existing contract.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

                            --- END ---