S-4325               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6633

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Senators Johnson and Nelson

Read first time 1/28/88 and referred to Committee on Health Care & Corrections.

AN ACT Relating to payment of health care providers by health care service contractors as directed by subscribers; amending RCW 48.44.026; and creating a new section.

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 chapters 18.22, 18.25, 18.29, 18.32, 18.53, 18.57, 18.71, 18.74, 18.83, or 18.88 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.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     Section 1 of this act shall apply to all contracts entered into, issued, or renewed after October 1, 1988.