Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 48.02.060, 48.20.450, 48.20.460, 48.20.470, 48.30.010, 48.44.050, 48.46.200, 48.66.041, 48.66.050, 48.66.100, 48.66.165.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: This chapter is being reviewed under the commissioner's regulatory improvement program. Provisions of the chapter were nominated as regulatory schemes or rules that may need to be altered. The commissioner will consider amending or repealing existing sections or adding new sections to improve the clarity and efficiency of the rules in the chapter. Updates to the language, WAC references, and regulatory schemes of every rule and regulation within the chapter will be considered. An area that will be addressed is amending the chapter to reflect the passage of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA).

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: Federal government, the Office of Insurance Commissioner has met and will continue to meet with representatives of the health care financing authority to better understand and implement the BBA.

Process for Developing New Rule: Agency study; and send comments by July 31, 1998, to Kacy Brandeberry, P.O. Box 40256, Olympia, WA 98504-0256, FAX (360) 407-0186, Internet KacyB@oic.wa.gov.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Kacy Brandeberry, P.O. Box 40256, Olympia, WA 98504-0256, phone (360) 407-0729, FAX (360) 407-0186, Internet KacyB@oic.wa.gov.

June 15, 1998

Greg J. Scully

Chief Deputy Commissioner