| Passed by the House March 3, 2012 Yeas 95 FRANK CHOPP ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate February 29, 2012 Yeas 49 BRAD OWEN ________________________________________ President of the Senate | I, Barbara Baker, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2582 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. BARBARA BAKER ________________________________________ Chief Clerk | |
| Approved March 29, 2012, 7:18 p.m. CHRISTINE GREGOIRE ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | March 29, 2012 Secretary of State State of Washington |
| State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2012 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 01/31/12.
AN ACT Relating to billing practices for health care services; adding a new section to chapter 70.01 RCW; and providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 A new section is added to chapter 70.01 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) Prior to the delivery of nonemergency services, a provider-based clinic that charges a facility fee shall provide a notice to any
patient that the clinic is licensed as part of the hospital and the
patient may receive a separate charge or billing for the facility
component, which may result in a higher out-of-pocket expense.
(2) Each health care facility must post prominently in locations
easily accessible to and visible by patients, including its web site,
a statement that the provider-based clinic is licensed as part of the
hospital and the patient may receive a separate charge or billing for
the facility, which may result in a higher out-of-pocket expense.
(3) Nothing in this section applies to laboratory services, imaging
services, or other ancillary health services not provided by staff
employed by the health care facility.
(4) As part of the year-end financial reports submitted to the
department of health pursuant to RCW 43.70.052, all hospitals with
provider-based clinics that bill a separate facility fee shall report:
(a) The number of provider-based clinics owned or operated by the
hospital that charge or bill a separate facility fee;
(b) The number of patient visits at each provider-based clinic for
which a facility fee was charged or billed for the year;
(c) The revenue received by the hospital for the year by means of
facility fees at each provider-based clinic; and
(d) The range of allowable facility fees paid by public or private
payers at each provider-based clinic.
(5) For the purposes of this section:
(a) "Facility fee" means any separate charge or billing by a
provider-based clinic in addition to a professional fee for physicians'
services that is intended to cover building, electronic medical records
systems, billing, and other administrative and operational expenses.
(b) "Provider-based clinic" means the site of an off-campus clinic
or provider office located at least two hundred fifty yards from the
main hospital buildings or as determined by the centers for medicare
and medicaid services, that is owned by a hospital licensed under
chapter 70.41 RCW or a health system that operates one or more
hospitals licensed under chapter 70.41 RCW, is licensed as part of the
hospital, and is primarily engaged in providing diagnostic and
therapeutic care including medical history, physical examinations,
assessment of health status, and treatment monitoring. This does not
include clinics exclusively designed for and providing laboratory, x-ray, testing, therapy, pharmacy, or educational services and does not
include facilities designated as rural health clinics.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 This act takes effect January 1, 2013.