1162 AMS WM S2551.1

HB 1162 - S COMM AMD

By Committee on Ways & Means

    Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

    "NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that promoting a financially viable health care system in all parts of the state is a paramount interest.  The health care financing administration has recognized the crucial role that hospitals play in providing care in rural areas by creating the critical access hospital program to allow small, rural hospitals that qualify to receive reasonable cost-based reimbursement for medicare services.  The legislature further finds that creating a similar reimbursement system for the state's medical assistance programs in small, rural hospitals that qualify will help assure the long-term financial viability of the rural health system in those communities.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 74.09 RCW to read as follows:

    Payments for recipients eligible for medical assistance programs under this chapter for services provided by hospitals, regardless of the beneficiary's managed care enrollment status, shall be made based on allowable costs incurred during the year, when services are provided by a rural hospital certified by the health care financing administration as a critical access hospital.  Any additional payments made by the medical assistance administration for the healthy options program shall be no more than the additional amounts per service paid under this section for other medical assistance programs.

    For purposes of this section, "medical assistance programs" means the programs defined in RCW 74.09.010 for which federal matching funds are available.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 74.09 RCW to read as follows:

    The department shall implement the program created in section 2 of this act within sixty days of the effective date of this act regardless of the beneficiary's managed care status.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2001, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void."

HB 1162 - S COMM AMD

By Committee on Ways & Means

    On page 1, line 3 of the title, after "hospital;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "adding new sections to chapter 74.09 RCW; and creating new sections."

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