S-615                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 5539

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Senator Moore

Read first time 2/4/87 and referred to Committee on Financial Institutions.

AN ACT Relating to health care service contractors; and amending RCW 48.44.026.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 1, chapter 168, Laws of 1982 as amended by section 1, chapter 283, Laws of 1984 and RCW 48.44.026 are each amended to read as follows:

Subject to the written direction of the subscriber, checks in payment for claims pursuant to any health care service contract for health care services provided by ((persons)) health care providers licensed or regulated under chapter((s)) 18.22, 18.25, 18.29, 18.32, 18.53, 18.57, 18.71, 18.74, 18.83, ((or)) 18.88, 70.41, or 71.12 RCW((, where the provider is not a participant under a contract with the health care service contractor, shall be made out to both the provider and the insured, jointly, to require endorsement by each:  PROVIDED, That payment shall be made in the single name of the insured if the insured as part of his or her claim furnishes evidence of prepayment to the health care service provider:  AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That nothing in this section shall preclude a health care service contractor from voluntarily issuing payment)) shall be issued directly to and in the single name of the provider.  Health care service contractors shall, in all cases, provide all beneficiaries a copy of all claims processing.