WSR 97-20-014

PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

DEPARTMENT OF

SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES

(Medical Assistance Administration)

(Public Assistance)

[Filed September 19, 1997, 12:40 p.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: Chapter 388-527 WAC, Estate recovery.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 74.08.090, 43.20B.080, and 74.34.010.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Eliminates exemptions from estate recovery for clients with community property agreements, exempts costs of state-funded protective services from estate recovery, adds effective dates for changes, and establishes rules for determining value of life estates for the purposes of estate recovery.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: Office of Financial Recovery (Department of Social and Health Services) - Coordinated joint project.

Process for Developing New Rule: The department invites the interested public to review and provide input into the adopted language of this proposed WAC amendment. The department will distribute draft material for an internal and external review process. All comments are taken into consideration before issuance of final rule.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Joanie Scotson, Program Manager, Medical Assistance Administration, Mailstop 45530, Olympia, Washington 98504-5530, phone (360) 753-7462, FAX (360) 753-7315, TDD 1-800-848-5429, e-mail SCOTSJK@DSHS.WA.GOV.

September 18, 1997

Merry A. Kogut, Manager