H-4217.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2360

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2002 Regular Session

By House Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Representatives Conway, Campbell, Cody, Edwards, Wood and Schual‑Berke)

Read first time 02/08/2002.  Referred to Committee on .

Regulating negotiations between health providers and health carriers.

    AN ACT Relating to the regulation of negotiations between health care providers and health carriers; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  (1) There is hereby established a joint select committee on collective negotiations to study the regulation of collective negotiations between health care providers and health insurance carriers authorized under chapter 43.72 RCW.  The committee shall be composed of (a) two members of the house of representatives, one from each political caucus to be appointed by the speaker; (b) two members of the senate, one from each political caucus appointed by the president of the senate; and (c) ex officio representatives of the office of the attorney general, the office of the insurance commissioner, and the department of health respectively.  The chair of the committee shall be selected by legislative members.  In its deliberations, the committee shall consult with health care provider professional associations, health carriers, and other state agencies directly affected by the activities of collective negotiations.

    (2) The committee shall review (a) the appropriateness of collective negotiations on the terms and conditions of contracts between health care providers and health carriers, including reimbursement for provider services; (b) the benefits of voluntary mediation and arbitration in case of impasse for furthering dispute resolution; (c) the appropriateness of requiring health carriers and health care providers to enter into collective negotiations in good faith; (d) the impact of collective negotiations on the access of the public to health care providers, on the costs of health care services, and on state and federal antitrust laws; and (e) such other matters related to the purposes of this study.

    (3) The committee may use the staffing and support resources of the office of program research of the house of representatives and the office of senate committee services within available funds.

    (4) The committee shall report to the legislature by the first day of the regular legislative session commencing in January 2003 on its findings and recommendations, together with any legislative proposals implementing them.  The authority of the committee expires at such time.

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