5521-S AMS DOUM BUCH 001

SSB 5521 - S AMD 156

By Senators Doumit, Reardon, Prentice, Thibaudeau, Spanel, and Hargrove

3/13/03 NOT ADOPTED

   Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

   "NEW SECTION Sec. 1. The legislature finds that access to health care services is an unavoidable need of all human beings, and that the primary method used to pay for care is health insurance whether financed by private or public funds. The cost of health care insurance is rising at three times the rate of inflation, having a significant impact on the solvency of state and local governments. Fourteen percent of citizens nationally and about five hundred thousand citizens in the state are without health care insurance. Employers, whether large or small, public or private, are finding it increasingly difficult to find and provide health care benefits to employees, with employees and their families being forced to bear an increasing portion of this rising health care insurance burden. Health care providers are struggling to remain competitive in an increasingly complex market.

   NEW SECTION Sec. 2. A new section is added to Chapter 48.21 RCW as follows:

   (1) A health care access options task force is created to be composed of nineteen members appointed as follows:

   (a) Twelve members are to be appointed jointly by the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president of the Senate: (i) a representative of a major state corporation, selected in consultation with the Association of Washington Business; (ii) a representative of small businesses, to be selected from a list of nominees submitted jointly by the national federation of independent business and the independent business association; (iii) two representatives of health care consumers, one of whom shall represent people with individual health insurance, and one of whom shall represent the interests of people without health insurance; (iv) two representatives of organized labor, one representing a trust that purchases insurance through a Taft-Hartley plan, to be selected in consultation with the Washington State Labor Council; (v) three members selected to represent health care providers, including a hospital representative, a licensed physician, and a rural health care provider, selected in consultation with appropriate health care provider organizations; (vi) two representatives of health insurance carriers; and (vii) the insurance commissioner, who shall serve as the cochair of the task force and shall, in addition, be responsible for coordinating its administrative and ministerial duties. One of the health care consumer representatives shall serve as the cochair of the task force, to be elected by the members of the task force. 

   (b) Four members shall be selected to represent the Legislature, to be chosen by each of the four caucuses.

   (c) The Secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services, the Secretary of the Department of Health, and the Administrator of the Washington State Health Care Authority shall serve as ex officio members of the task force.

   (2) The health care access options task force shall examine the privately funded health care insurance system in the State of Washington and make recommendations for its improvement, emphasizing the availability of health insurance for businesses with fewer than 51 employees. The underserved areas of Washington and the total aspect of the delivery of health care in Washington, including telemedicine, shall also be reviewed. The task force shall prepare a report of its findings, including health insurance laws in other states that are providing greater choice, more participating insurance carriers offering health insurance, and greater price flexibility as compared to Washington state. The task force shall seek testimony and information from a broad range of health care stakeholders, and actively solicit public comment in a community meeting process to build a consensus on the values to be used as a guide to improving the privately and publicly funded health care system. The task force shall review the recommendations of previous health care system analyses. The task force is authorized to establish subcommittees and technical advisory committees as needed to carry out its responsibilities. The task force shall seek grant funds for the community meeting process, and is encouraged to coordinate its efforts with ongoing efforts such as those of the Washington health foundation. The task force shall prepare a report including its findings and recommendations and transmit this report to the Legislature and the Governor no later than January 1, 2005."

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SSB 5521 - S AMD

   By    Senator Doumit

   On page 1, on line 2 of the title, after "employees;", delete everything through "and" on line 4.

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EFFECT: Creates task force to study health insurance needs with emphasis on small businesses.