BILL REQ. #: S-3767.2
| State of Washington | 59th Legislature | 2006 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/09/2006. Referred to Committee on Health & Long-Term Care.
AN ACT Relating to hospital and ambulatory surgical center pricing and billing procedures; adding a new section to chapter 70.41 RCW; adding a new chapter to Title 70 RCW; prescribing penalties; and providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The definitions in this section apply
throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Ambulatory surgical center" means any institution, place,
building, or agency that is established, equipped, and operated
primarily for the purpose of performing surgical procedures and
services to patients not requiring hospitalization.
(2) "Department" means the department of health.
(3) "Hospital" has the same meaning as in RCW 70.41.020.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 (1) No later than forty-five days after the
end of each calendar quarter, a hospital shall report to the
department, for each procedure or drug selected under section 3 of this
act, and an ambulatory surgical center shall report to the department,
for each procedure identified under section 3(2) of this act, the
following:
(a) The frequency with which the hospital performed the procedure,
or administered the drug in an inpatient setting, or the ambulatory
surgical center performed the procedure during the quarter; and
(b) If the procedure was performed or the drug was administered
during the quarter, the average and the median of the price charged by
the hospital or ambulatory surgical center for the procedure or drug
during the quarter.
(2) The department shall promptly post on its official public web
site the information reported under subsection (1) of this section.
The information shall be posted in a manner that promotes price
comparison among hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers.
(3) A hospital and ambulatory surgical center shall prominently
post at each of its admission sites a notice of the availability on the
department's web site of the information reported under subsection (1)
of this section.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 Based on statewide data, the department
shall identify, and update no less than annually: (1) The twenty-five
most frequently performed hospital inpatient procedures; (2) the
twenty-five most frequently performed hospital outpatient procedures;
and (3) the fifty most frequently administered drugs in a hospital
inpatient setting.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4 The department may impose a civil penalty of
not more than one thousand dollars for each knowing violation of
section 2 of this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5 The department shall adopt rules to
implement this chapter, including those addressing:
(1) The classification of different procedures and the assignment
of items and services to those procedures;
(2) The methodology to be used in computing the average and median
price for a procedure or drug, which may provide for reporting by the
hospital or ambulatory surgical center of unit prices for specific
items and services included in a procedure, including appropriate per
diem prices, and a method of converting such unit prices for a
procedure to an average and median price; and
(3) The electronic form and manner by which a hospital or
ambulatory surgical center shall report the information required under
section 2(1) of this act and the form for posting of notices under
section 2(3) of this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6 A new section is added to chapter 70.41 RCW
to read as follows:
A hospital must provide to each patient within fourteen days
following his or her discharge a written statement: (1) Clearly and
concisely summarizing all the services provided to the patient while
admitted to the hospital; (2) listing any payment due from the patient
for these services; and (3) indicating for each service where payment
is due the name of the facility or individual provider from whom the
patient will receive a bill.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7 This act takes effect January 1, 2007.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8 Sections 1 through 5 and 7 of this act
constitute a new chapter in Title