SENATE BILL REPORT

ESHB 1299

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Health & Long-Term Care, April 2, 2003

Title: An act relating to evidence-based health services purchasing by state purchased health care programs.

Brief Description: Providing for uniform policies for health services purchasing by state purchased health care programs.

Sponsors: House Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Representatives Cody, Sommers, Morrell, Schual-Berke and Dickerson).

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Health & Long-Term Care: 3/26/03, 4/2/03 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & LONG-TERM CARE

Majority Report: Do pass.

      Signed by Senators Deccio, Chair; Winsley, Vice Chair; Brandland, Franklin, Keiser and Thibaudeau.

Staff: Jonathan Seib (786-7427)

Background: The Health Care Authority is responsible for studying all state-purchased health care, alternative health care delivery systems, and strategies for the procurement of health care services, and making recommendations aimed at minimizing the financial burden which health care poses on the state. The authority is also expected to implement state initiatives, joint purchasing strategies, cost-control strategies, and techniques for efficient administration that have potential application to all state-purchased health services.

Summary of Bill: The Health Care Authority must coordinate the development and implementation of uniform policies across all state-purchased health care programs related to purchasing, administrative efficiencies, improving quality of care, and reducing administrative burdens on participating health care providers. The policies are to address methods of assessing and monitoring the quality and cost-effectiveness of health services, developing a common definition of medical necessity, and common strategies for disease and demand management.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: The bill will help the state spend its health care dollars more wisely through coordinated decisions and a coordinated decision-making process among agencies. It is intended to improve quality by getting agencies to work together and make sound health care purchasing decisions based on the best available evidence.

Testimony Against: Standardization among state agencies may be detrimental to the unique needs of individual agency clients. Not all individuals are the same and they should not be treated the same by various state agencies.

Testified: PRO: Representative Cody, prime sponsor; Gary Franklin, Department of Labor and Industries; Dennis Martin, Health Care Authority; Bill Hagens, DSHS; CON: Timothy Larsen.