BILL REQ. #:  H-3153.2 

Read first time 03/29/2007.   Referred to Committee on Appropriations.

     AN ACT Relating to rebasing direct care, therapy care, support services, and operations component rate allocations under the nursing facility medicaid payment system based upon calendar year 2005 cost report data, excluding costs related to the quality maintenance fee repealed by chapter 241, Laws of 2006; amending RCW 74.46.410, 74.46.431, 74.46.506, and 74.46.511; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 74.46.410 and 2001 1st sp.s. c 8 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Costs will be unallowable if they are not documented, necessary, ordinary, and related to the provision of care services to authorized patients.
     (2) Unallowable costs include, but are not limited to, the following:
     (a) Costs of items or services not covered by the medical care program. Costs of such items or services will be unallowable even if they are indirectly reimbursed by the department as the result of an authorized reduction in patient contribution;
     (b) Costs of services and items provided to recipients which are covered by the department's medical care program but not included in the medicaid per-resident day payment rate established by the department under this chapter;
     (c) Costs associated with a capital expenditure subject to section 1122 approval (part 100, Title 42 C.F.R.) if the department found it was not consistent with applicable standards, criteria, or plans. If the department was not given timely notice of a proposed capital expenditure, all associated costs will be unallowable up to the date they are determined to be reimbursable under applicable federal regulations;
     (d) Costs associated with a construction or acquisition project requiring certificate of need approval, or exemption from the requirements for certificate of need for the replacement of existing nursing home beds, pursuant to chapter 70.38 RCW if such approval or exemption was not obtained;
     (e) Interest costs other than those provided by RCW 74.46.290 on and after January 1, 1985;
     (f) Salaries or other compensation of owners, officers, directors, stockholders, partners, principals, participants, and others associated with the contractor or its home office, including all board of directors' fees for any purpose, except reasonable compensation paid for service related to patient care;
     (g) Costs in excess of limits or in violation of principles set forth in this chapter;
     (h) Costs resulting from transactions or the application of accounting methods which circumvent the principles of the payment system set forth in this chapter;
     (i) Costs applicable to services, facilities, and supplies furnished by a related organization in excess of the lower of the cost to the related organization or the price of comparable services, facilities, or supplies purchased elsewhere;
     (j) Bad debts of non-Title XIX recipients. Bad debts of Title XIX recipients are allowable if the debt is related to covered services, it arises from the recipient's required contribution toward the cost of care, the provider can establish that reasonable collection efforts were made, the debt was actually uncollectible when claimed as worthless, and sound business judgment established that there was no likelihood of recovery at any time in the future;
     (k) Charity and courtesy allowances;
     (l) Cash, assessments, or other contributions, excluding dues, to charitable organizations, professional organizations, trade associations, or political parties, and costs incurred to improve community or public relations;
     (m) Vending machine expenses;
     (n) Expenses for barber or beautician services not included in routine care;
     (o) Funeral and burial expenses;
     (p) Costs of gift shop operations and inventory;
     (q) Personal items such as cosmetics, smoking materials, newspapers and magazines, and clothing, except those used in patient activity programs;
     (r) Fund-raising expenses, except those directly related to the patient activity program;
     (s) Penalties and fines;
     (t) Expenses related to telephones, radios, and similar appliances in patients' private accommodations;
     (u) Televisions acquired prior to July 1, 2001;
     (v) Federal, state, and other income taxes;
     (w) Costs of special care services except where authorized by the department;
     (x) Expenses of an employee benefit not in fact made available to all employees on an equal or fair basis, for example, key-man insurance and other insurance or retirement plans;
     (y) Expenses of profit-sharing plans;
     (z) Expenses related to the purchase and/or use of private or commercial airplanes which are in excess of what a prudent contractor would expend for the ordinary and economic provision of such a transportation need related to patient care;
     (aa) Personal expenses and allowances of owners or relatives;
     (bb) All expenses of maintaining professional licenses or membership in professional organizations;
     (cc) Costs related to agreements not to compete;
     (dd) Amortization of goodwill, lease acquisition, or any other intangible asset, whether related to resident care or not, and whether recognized under generally accepted accounting principles or not;
     (ee) Expenses related to vehicles which are in excess of what a prudent contractor would expend for the ordinary and economic provision of transportation needs related to patient care;
     (ff) Legal and consultant fees in connection with a fair hearing against the department where a decision is rendered in favor of the department or where otherwise the determination of the department stands;
     (gg) Legal and consultant fees of a contractor or contractors in connection with a lawsuit against the department;
     (hh) Lease acquisition costs, goodwill, the cost of bed rights, or any other intangible assets;
     (ii) All rental or lease costs other than those provided in RCW 74.46.300 on and after January 1, 1985;
     (jj) Postsurvey charges incurred by the facility as a result of subsequent inspections under RCW 18.51.050 which occur beyond the first postsurvey visit during the certification survey calendar year;
     (kk) Compensation paid for any purchased nursing care services, including registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, and nurse assistant services, obtained through service contract arrangement in excess of the amount of compensation paid for such hours of nursing care service had they been paid at the average hourly wage, including related taxes and benefits, for in-house nursing care staff of like classification at the same nursing facility, as reported in the most recent cost report period;
     (ll) For all partial or whole rate periods after July 17, 1984, costs of land and depreciable assets that cannot be reimbursed under the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984 and implementing state statutory and regulatory provisions;
     (mm) Costs reported by the contractor for a prior period to the extent such costs, due to statutory exemption, will not be incurred by the contractor in the period to be covered by the rate;
     (nn) Costs of outside activities, for example, costs allocated to the use of a vehicle for personal purposes or related to the part of a facility leased out for office space;
     (oo) Travel expenses outside the states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington and the province of British Columbia. However, travel to or from the home or central office of a chain organization operating a nursing facility is allowed whether inside or outside these areas if the travel is necessary, ordinary, and related to resident care;
     (pp) Moving expenses of employees in the absence of demonstrated, good-faith effort to recruit within the states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, and the province of British Columbia;
     (qq) Depreciation in excess of four thousand dollars per year for each passenger car or other vehicle primarily used by the administrator, facility staff, or central office staff;
     (rr) Costs for temporary health care personnel from a nursing pool not registered with the secretary of the department of health;
     (ss) Payroll taxes associated with compensation in excess of allowable compensation of owners, relatives, and administrative personnel;
     (tt) Costs and fees associated with filing a petition for bankruptcy;
     (uu) All advertising or promotional costs, except reasonable costs of help wanted advertising;
     (vv) Outside consultation expenses required to meet department-required minimum data set completion proficiency;
     (ww) Interest charges assessed by any department or agency of this state for failure to make a timely refund of overpayments and interest expenses incurred for loans obtained to make the refunds;
     (xx) All home office or central office costs, whether on or off the nursing facility premises, and whether allocated or not to specific services, in excess of the median of those adjusted costs for all facilities reporting such costs for the most recent report period; ((and))
     (yy) Tax expenses that a nursing facility has never incurred; and
     (zz) Effective July 1, 2007, and for all future rate setting, any costs associated with the quality maintenance fee repealed by chapter 241, Laws of 2006.

Sec. 2   RCW 74.46.431 and 2006 c 258 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Effective July 1, 1999, nursing facility medicaid payment rate allocations shall be facility-specific and shall have seven components: Direct care, therapy care, support services, operations, property, financing allowance, and variable return. The department shall establish and adjust each of these components, as provided in this section and elsewhere in this chapter, for each medicaid nursing facility in this state.
     (2) Component rate allocations in therapy care, support services, variable return, operations, property, and financing allowance for essential community providers as defined in this chapter shall be based upon a minimum facility occupancy of eighty-five percent of licensed beds, regardless of how many beds are set up or in use. For all facilities other than essential community providers, effective July 1, 2001, component rate allocations in direct care, therapy care, support services, variable return, operations, property, and financing allowance shall continue to be based upon a minimum facility occupancy of eighty-five percent of licensed beds. For all facilities other than essential community providers, effective July 1, 2002, the component rate allocations in operations, property, and financing allowance shall be based upon a minimum facility occupancy of ninety percent of licensed beds, regardless of how many beds are set up or in use. For all facilities, effective July 1, 2006, the component rate allocation in direct care shall be based upon actual facility occupancy.
     (3) Information and data sources used in determining medicaid payment rate allocations, including formulas, procedures, cost report periods, resident assessment instrument formats, resident assessment methodologies, and resident classification and case mix weighting methodologies, may be substituted or altered from time to time as determined by the department.
     (4)(a) Direct care component rate allocations shall be established using adjusted cost report data covering at least six months. Adjusted cost report data from 1996 will be used for October 1, 1998, through June 30, 2001, direct care component rate allocations; adjusted cost report data from 1999 will be used for July 1, 2001, through June 30, 2006, direct care component rate allocations. Adjusted cost report data from 2003 will be used for July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007, direct care component rate allocations. Adjusted cost report data from 2005 will be used for July 1, 2007, and later direct care component rate allocations.
     (b) Direct care component rate allocations based on 1996 cost report data shall be adjusted annually for economic trends and conditions by a factor or factors defined in the biennial appropriations act. A different economic trends and conditions adjustment factor or factors may be defined in the biennial appropriations act for facilities whose direct care component rate is set equal to their adjusted June 30, 1998, rate, as provided in RCW 74.46.506(5)(i).
     (c) Direct care component rate allocations based on 1999 cost report data shall be adjusted annually for economic trends and conditions by a factor or factors defined in the biennial appropriations act. A different economic trends and conditions adjustment factor or factors may be defined in the biennial appropriations act for facilities whose direct care component rate is set equal to their adjusted June 30, 1998, rate, as provided in RCW 74.46.506(5)(i).
     (d) Direct care component rate allocations based on ((2003)) 2005 cost report data shall be adjusted annually for economic trends and conditions by a factor or factors defined in the biennial appropriations act. A different economic trends and conditions adjustment factor or factors may be defined in the biennial appropriations act for facilities whose direct care component rate is set equal to their adjusted June 30, 2006, rate, as provided in RCW 74.46.506(5)(i).
     (5)(a) Therapy care component rate allocations shall be established using adjusted cost report data covering at least six months. Adjusted cost report data from 1996 will be used for October 1, 1998, through June 30, 2001, therapy care component rate allocations; adjusted cost report data from 1999 will be used for July 1, 2001, through June 30, 2005, therapy care component rate allocations. Adjusted cost report data from 1999 will continue to be used for July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2007, therapy care component rate allocations. Adjusted cost report data from 2005 will be used for July 1, 2007, and later therapy care component rate allocations.
     (b) Therapy care component rate allocations shall be adjusted annually for economic trends and conditions by a factor or factors defined in the biennial appropriations act.
     (6)(a) Support services component rate allocations shall be established using adjusted cost report data covering at least six months. Adjusted cost report data from 1996 shall be used for October 1, 1998, through June 30, 2001, support services component rate allocations; adjusted cost report data from 1999 shall be used for July 1, 2001, through June 30, 2005, support services component rate allocations. Adjusted cost report data from 1999 will continue to be used for July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2007, support services component rate allocations. Adjusted cost report data from 2005 will be used for July 1, 2007, and later support services component rate allocations.
     (b) Support services component rate allocations shall be adjusted annually for economic trends and conditions by a factor or factors defined in the biennial appropriations act.
     (7)(a) Operations component rate allocations shall be established using adjusted cost report data covering at least six months. Adjusted cost report data from 1996 shall be used for October 1, 1998, through June 30, 2001, operations component rate allocations; adjusted cost report data from 1999 shall be used for July 1, 2001, through June 30, 2006, operations component rate allocations. Adjusted cost report data from 2003 will be used for July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007, operations component rate allocations. Adjusted cost report data from 2005 will be used for July 1, 2007, and later operations component rate allocations.
     (b) Operations component rate allocations shall be adjusted annually for economic trends and conditions by a factor or factors defined in the biennial appropriations act. A different economic trends and conditions adjustment factor or factors may be defined in the biennial appropriations act for facilities whose operations component rate is set equal to their adjusted June 30, 2006, rate, as provided in RCW 74.46.521(4).
     (8) For July 1, 1998, through September 30, 1998, a facility's property and return on investment component rates shall be the facility's June 30, 1998, property and return on investment component rates, without increase. For October 1, 1998, through June 30, 1999, a facility's property and return on investment component rates shall be rebased utilizing 1997 adjusted cost report data covering at least six months of data.
     (9) Total payment rates under the nursing facility medicaid payment system shall not exceed facility rates charged to the general public for comparable services.
     (10) Medicaid contractors shall pay to all facility staff a minimum wage of the greater of the state minimum wage or the federal minimum wage.
     (11) The department shall establish in rule procedures, principles, and conditions for determining component rate allocations for facilities in circumstances not directly addressed by this chapter, including but not limited to: The need to prorate inflation for partial-period cost report data, newly constructed facilities, existing facilities entering the medicaid program for the first time or after a period of absence from the program, existing facilities with expanded new bed capacity, existing medicaid facilities following a change of ownership of the nursing facility business, facilities banking beds or converting beds back into service, facilities temporarily reducing the number of set-up beds during a remodel, facilities having less than six months of either resident assessment, cost report data, or both, under the current contractor prior to rate setting, and other circumstances.
     (12) The department shall establish in rule procedures, principles, and conditions, including necessary threshold costs, for adjusting rates to reflect capital improvements or new requirements imposed by the department or the federal government. Any such rate adjustments are subject to the provisions of RCW 74.46.421.
     (13) Effective July 1, 2001, medicaid rates shall continue to be revised downward in all components, in accordance with department rules, for facilities converting banked beds to active service under chapter 70.38 RCW, by using the facility's increased licensed bed capacity to recalculate minimum occupancy for rate setting. However, for facilities other than essential community providers which bank beds under chapter 70.38 RCW, after May 25, 2001, medicaid rates shall be revised upward, in accordance with department rules, in direct care, therapy care, support services, and variable return components only, by using the facility's decreased licensed bed capacity to recalculate minimum occupancy for rate setting, but no upward revision shall be made to operations, property, or financing allowance component rates. The direct care component rate allocation shall be adjusted, without using the minimum occupancy assumption, for facilities that convert banked beds to active service, under chapter 70.38 RCW, beginning on July 1, 2006.
     (14) Facilities obtaining a certificate of need or a certificate of need exemption under chapter 70.38 RCW after June 30, 2001, must have a certificate of capital authorization in order for (a) the depreciation resulting from the capitalized addition to be included in calculation of the facility's property component rate allocation; and (b) the net invested funds associated with the capitalized addition to be included in calculation of the facility's financing allowance rate allocation.

Sec. 3   RCW 74.46.506 and 2006 c 258 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The direct care component rate allocation corresponds to the provision of nursing care for one resident of a nursing facility for one day, including direct care supplies. Therapy services and supplies, which correspond to the therapy care component rate, shall be excluded. The direct care component rate includes elements of case mix determined consistent with the principles of this section and other applicable provisions of this chapter.
     (2) Beginning October 1, 1998, the department shall determine and update quarterly for each nursing facility serving medicaid residents a facility-specific per-resident day direct care component rate allocation, to be effective on the first day of each calendar quarter. In determining direct care component rates the department shall utilize, as specified in this section, minimum data set resident assessment data for each resident of the facility, as transmitted to, and if necessary corrected by, the department in the resident assessment instrument format approved by federal authorities for use in this state.
     (3) The department may question the accuracy of assessment data for any resident and utilize corrected or substitute information, however derived, in determining direct care component rates. The department is authorized to impose civil fines and to take adverse rate actions against a contractor, as specified by the department in rule, in order to obtain compliance with resident assessment and data transmission requirements and to ensure accuracy.
     (4) Cost report data used in setting direct care component rate allocations shall be 1996, 1999, ((and)) 2003, and 2005 for rate periods as specified in RCW 74.46.431(4)(a).
     (5) Beginning October 1, 1998, the department shall rebase each nursing facility's direct care component rate allocation as described in RCW 74.46.431, adjust its direct care component rate allocation for economic trends and conditions as described in RCW 74.46.431, and update its medicaid average case mix index, consistent with the following:
     (a) Reduce total direct care costs reported by each nursing facility for the applicable cost report period specified in RCW 74.46.431(4)(a) to reflect any department adjustments, and to eliminate reported resident therapy costs and adjustments, in order to derive the facility's total allowable direct care cost;
     (b) Divide each facility's total allowable direct care cost by its adjusted resident days for the same report period, increased if necessary to a minimum occupancy of eighty-five percent; that is, the greater of actual or imputed occupancy at eighty-five percent of licensed beds, to derive the facility's allowable direct care cost per resident day. However, effective July 1, 2006, each facility's allowable direct care costs shall be divided by its adjusted resident days without application of a minimum occupancy assumption;
     (c) Adjust the facility's per resident day direct care cost by the applicable factor specified in RCW 74.46.431(4) (b), (c), and (d) to derive its adjusted allowable direct care cost per resident day;
     (d) Divide each facility's adjusted allowable direct care cost per resident day by the facility average case mix index for the applicable quarters specified by RCW 74.46.501(7)(b) to derive the facility's allowable direct care cost per case mix unit;
     (e) Effective for July 1, 2001, rate setting, divide nursing facilities into at least two and, if applicable, three peer groups: Those located in nonurban counties; those located in high labor-cost counties, if any; and those located in other urban counties;
     (f) Array separately the allowable direct care cost per case mix unit for all facilities in nonurban counties; for all facilities in high labor-cost counties, if applicable; and for all facilities in other urban counties, and determine the median allowable direct care cost per case mix unit for each peer group;
     (g) Except as provided in (i) of this subsection, from October 1, 1998, through June 30, 2000, determine each facility's quarterly direct care component rate as follows:
     (i) Any facility whose allowable cost per case mix unit is less than eighty-five percent of the facility's peer group median established under (f) of this subsection shall be assigned a cost per case mix unit equal to eighty-five percent of the facility's peer group median, and shall have a direct care component rate allocation equal to the facility's assigned cost per case mix unit multiplied by that facility's medicaid average case mix index from the applicable quarter specified in RCW 74.46.501(7)(c);
     (ii) Any facility whose allowable cost per case mix unit is greater than one hundred fifteen percent of the peer group median established under (f) of this subsection shall be assigned a cost per case mix unit equal to one hundred fifteen percent of the peer group median, and shall have a direct care component rate allocation equal to the facility's assigned cost per case mix unit multiplied by that facility's medicaid average case mix index from the applicable quarter specified in RCW 74.46.501(7)(c);
     (iii) Any facility whose allowable cost per case mix unit is between eighty-five and one hundred fifteen percent of the peer group median established under (f) of this subsection shall have a direct care component rate allocation equal to the facility's allowable cost per case mix unit multiplied by that facility's medicaid average case mix index from the applicable quarter specified in RCW 74.46.501(7)(c);
     (h) Except as provided in (i) of this subsection, from July 1, 2000, through June 30, 2006, determine each facility's quarterly direct care component rate as follows:
     (i) Any facility whose allowable cost per case mix unit is less than ninety percent of the facility's peer group median established under (f) of this subsection shall be assigned a cost per case mix unit equal to ninety percent of the facility's peer group median, and shall have a direct care component rate allocation equal to the facility's assigned cost per case mix unit multiplied by that facility's medicaid average case mix index from the applicable quarter specified in RCW 74.46.501(7)(c);
     (ii) Any facility whose allowable cost per case mix unit is greater than one hundred ten percent of the peer group median established under (f) of this subsection shall be assigned a cost per case mix unit equal to one hundred ten percent of the peer group median, and shall have a direct care component rate allocation equal to the facility's assigned cost per case mix unit multiplied by that facility's medicaid average case mix index from the applicable quarter specified in RCW 74.46.501(7)(c);
     (iii) Any facility whose allowable cost per case mix unit is between ninety and one hundred ten percent of the peer group median established under (f) of this subsection shall have a direct care component rate allocation equal to the facility's allowable cost per case mix unit multiplied by that facility's medicaid average case mix index from the applicable quarter specified in RCW 74.46.501(7)(c);
     (i)(i) Between October 1, 1998, and June 30, 2000, the department shall compare each facility's direct care component rate allocation calculated under (g) of this subsection with the facility's nursing services component rate in effect on September 30, 1998, less therapy costs, plus any exceptional care offsets as reported on the cost report, adjusted for economic trends and conditions as provided in RCW 74.46.431. A facility shall receive the higher of the two rates.
     (ii) Between July 1, 2000, and June 30, 2002, the department shall compare each facility's direct care component rate allocation calculated under (h) of this subsection with the facility's direct care component rate in effect on June 30, 2000. A facility shall receive the higher of the two rates. Between July 1, 2001, and June 30, 2002, if during any quarter a facility whose rate paid under (h) of this subsection is greater than either the direct care rate in effect on June 30, 2000, or than that facility's allowable direct care cost per case mix unit calculated in (d) of this subsection multiplied by that facility's medicaid average case mix index from the applicable quarter specified in RCW 74.46.501(7)(c), the facility shall be paid in that and each subsequent quarter pursuant to (h) of this subsection and shall not be entitled to the greater of the two rates.
     (iii) Between July 1, 2002, and June 30, 2006, all direct care component rate allocations shall be as determined under (h) of this subsection.
     (iv) Effective July 1, 2006, for all providers, except vital local providers as defined in this chapter, all direct care component rate allocations shall be as determined under (j) of this subsection.
     (v) Effective July 1, 2006, for vital local providers, as defined in this chapter, direct care component rate allocations shall be determined as follows:
     (A) The department shall calculate:
     (I) The sum of each facility's July 1((, 2006,)) direct care component rate allocation calculated under (j) of this subsection and July 1((, 2006,)) operations component rate calculated under RCW 74.46.521; and
     (II) The sum of each facility's June 30, 2006, direct care and operations component rates.
     (B) If the sum calculated under (i)(v)(A)(I) of this subsection is less than the sum calculated under (i)(v)(A)(II) of this subsection, the facility shall have a direct care component rate allocation equal to the facility's June 30, 2006, direct care component rate allocation.
     (C) If the sum calculated under (i)(v)(A)(I) of this subsection is greater than or equal to the sum calculated under (i)(v)(A)(II) of this subsection, the facility's direct care component rate shall be calculated under (j) of this subsection;
     (j) Except as provided in (i) of this subsection, from July 1, 2006, forward, and for all future rate setting, determine each facility's quarterly direct care component rate as follows:
     (i) Any facility whose allowable cost per case mix unit is greater than one hundred twelve percent of the peer group median established under (f) of this subsection shall be assigned a cost per case mix unit equal to one hundred twelve percent of the peer group median, and shall have a direct care component rate allocation equal to the facility's assigned cost per case mix unit multiplied by that facility's medicaid average case mix index from the applicable quarter specified in RCW 74.46.501(7)(c);
     (ii) Any facility whose allowable cost per case mix unit is less than or equal to one hundred twelve percent of the peer group median established under (f) of this subsection shall have a direct care component rate allocation equal to the facility's allowable cost per case mix unit multiplied by that facility's medicaid average case mix index from the applicable quarter specified in RCW 74.46.501(7)(c).
     (6) The direct care component rate allocations calculated in accordance with this section shall be adjusted to the extent necessary to comply with RCW 74.46.421.
     (7) Costs related to payments resulting from increases in direct care component rates, granted under authority of RCW 74.46.508(1) for a facility's exceptional care residents, shall be offset against the facility's examined, allowable direct care costs, for each report year or partial period such increases are paid. Such reductions in allowable direct care costs shall be for rate setting, settlement, and other purposes deemed appropriate by the department.

Sec. 4   RCW 74.46.511 and 2001 1st sp.s. c 8 s 11 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The therapy care component rate allocation corresponds to the provision of medicaid one-on-one therapy provided by a qualified therapist as defined in this chapter, including therapy supplies and therapy consultation, for one day for one medicaid resident of a nursing facility. ((The therapy care component rate allocation for October 1, 1998, through June 30, 2001, shall be based on adjusted therapy costs and days from calendar year 1996. The therapy component rate allocation for July 1, 2001, through June 30, 2004, shall be based on adjusted therapy costs and days from calendar year 1999.)) Beginning October 1, 1998, the department shall determine each medicaid nursing facility's therapy component rate allocation using cost report data specified in RCW 74.46.431(5)(a). The therapy care component rate shall be adjusted for economic trends and conditions as specified in RCW 74.46.431(5)(b), and shall be determined in accordance with this section.
     (2) In rebasing, as provided in RCW 74.46.431(5)(a), the department shall take from the cost reports of facilities the following reported information:
     (a) Direct one-on-one therapy charges for all residents by payer including charges for supplies;
     (b) The total units or modules of therapy care for all residents by type of therapy provided, for example, speech or physical. A unit or module of therapy care is considered to be fifteen minutes of one-on-one therapy provided by a qualified therapist or support personnel; and
     (c) Therapy consulting expenses for all residents.
     (3) The department shall determine for all residents the total cost per unit of therapy for each type of therapy by dividing the total adjusted one-on-one therapy expense for each type by the total units provided for that therapy type.
     (4) The department shall divide medicaid nursing facilities in this state into two peer groups:
     (a) Those facilities located within urban counties; and
     (b) Those located within nonurban counties.
     The department shall array the facilities in each peer group from highest to lowest based on their total cost per unit of therapy for each therapy type. The department shall determine the median total cost per unit of therapy for each therapy type and add ten percent of median total cost per unit of therapy. The cost per unit of therapy for each therapy type at a nursing facility shall be the lesser of its cost per unit of therapy for each therapy type or the median total cost per unit plus ten percent for each therapy type for its peer group.
     (5) The department shall calculate each nursing facility's therapy care component rate allocation as follows:
     (a) To determine the allowable total therapy cost for each therapy type, the allowable cost per unit of therapy for each type of therapy shall be multiplied by the total therapy units for each type of therapy;
     (b) The medicaid allowable one-on-one therapy expense shall be calculated taking the allowable total therapy cost for each therapy type times the medicaid percent of total therapy charges for each therapy type;
     (c) The medicaid allowable one-on-one therapy expense for each therapy type shall be divided by total adjusted medicaid days to arrive at the medicaid one-on-one therapy cost per patient day for each therapy type;
     (d) The medicaid one-on-one therapy cost per patient day for each therapy type shall be multiplied by total adjusted patient days for all residents to calculate the total allowable one-on-one therapy expense. The lesser of the total allowable therapy consultant expense for the therapy type or a reasonable percentage of allowable therapy consultant expense for each therapy type, as established in rule by the department, shall be added to the total allowable one-on-one therapy expense to determine the allowable therapy cost for each therapy type;
     (e) The allowable therapy cost for each therapy type shall be added together, the sum of which shall be the total allowable therapy expense for the nursing facility;
     (f) The total allowable therapy expense will be divided by the greater of adjusted total patient days from the cost report on which the therapy expenses were reported, or patient days at eighty-five percent occupancy of licensed beds. The outcome shall be the nursing facility's therapy care component rate allocation.
     (6) The therapy care component rate allocations calculated in accordance with this section shall be adjusted to the extent necessary to comply with RCW 74.46.421.
     (7) The therapy care component rate shall be suspended for medicaid residents in qualified nursing facilities designated by the department who are receiving therapy paid by the department outside the facility daily rate under RCW 74.46.508(2).

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 1, 2007.