BILL REQ. #:  H-3340.1 

Prefiled 01/05/12. Read first time 01/09/12.   Referred to Committee on Health Care & Wellness.

     AN ACT Relating to reporting of compensation for certain hospital employees; and amending RCW 43.70.052.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 43.70.052 and 1995 c 267 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) To promote the public interest consistent with the purposes of chapter 492, Laws of 1993 as amended by chapter 267, Laws of 1995, the department shall continue to require hospitals to submit hospital financial and patient discharge information, which shall be collected, maintained, analyzed, and disseminated by the department. The department shall, if deemed cost-effective and efficient, contract with a private entity for any or all parts of data collection. Data elements shall be reported in conformance with a uniform reporting system established by the department. This includes data elements identifying each hospital's revenues, expenses, contractual allowances, charity care, bad debt, other income, total units of inpatient and outpatient services, and other financial and employee compensation information reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes of this section. Data elements relating to use of hospital services by patients shall be the same as those currently compiled by hospitals through inpatient discharge abstracts. The department shall encourage and permit reporting by electronic transmission or hard copy as is practical and economical to reporters.
     (2) In identifying financial reporting requirements, the department may require both annual reports and condensed quarterly reports from hospitals, so as to achieve both accuracy and timeliness in reporting, but shall craft such requirements with due regard of the data reporting burdens of hospitals.
     (3) In identifying employee compensation reporting requirements, the department shall require that each nonprofit hospital or public hospital district annually report the compensation paid to the chief executive officer and the ten highest paid hospital employees who do not have any direct patient responsibilities. The report shall be based upon actual compensation amounts and types received during the prior calendar year and shall include a description of the responsibilities of each employee in the report. The term "compensation" includes payment in all forms including, but not limited to, salary and wages, contributions to retirement plans and savings accounts, deferred compensation arrangements, expense reimbursements, incentive payments, and other benefits of value.
     (4) The health care data collected, maintained, and studied by the department shall only be available for retrieval in original or processed form to public and private requestors and shall be available within a reasonable period of time after the date of request. The cost of retrieving data for state officials and agencies shall be funded through the state general appropriation. The cost of retrieving data for individuals and organizations engaged in research or private use of data or studies shall be funded by a fee schedule developed by the department that reflects the direct cost of retrieving the data or study in the requested form.
     (((4))) (5) The department shall, in consultation and collaboration with the federally recognized tribes, urban or other Indian health service organizations, and the federal area Indian health service, design, develop, and maintain an American Indian-specific health data, statistics information system. The department rules regarding confidentiality shall apply to safeguard the information from inappropriate use or release.
     (((5))) (6) All persons subject to the data collection requirements of this section shall comply with departmental requirements established by rule in the acquisition of data.