(1) For the purposes of this section:

     (a) "Managed health care system" means any health care organization, including health care providers, insurers, health care service contractors, health maintenance organizations, health insuring organizations, or any combination thereof, that provides directly or by contract health care services covered under this chapter and rendered by licensed providers, on a prepaid capitated basis and that meets the requirements of section 1903(m)(1)(A) of Title XIX of the federal social security act or federal demonstration waivers granted under section 1115(a) of Title XI of the federal social security act;

     (b) "Nonparticipating provider" means a person, health care provider, practitioner, facility, or entity, acting within their scope of practice, that does not have a written contract to participate in a managed health care system's provider network, but provides health care services to enrollees of programs authorized under this chapter whose health care services are provided by the managed health care system.

     (2) The authority shall enter into agreements with managed health care systems to provide health care services to recipients of temporary assistance for needy families under the following conditions:

     (a) Agreements shall be made for at least thirty thousand recipients statewide;

     (b) Agreements in at least one county shall include enrollment of all recipients of temporary assistance for needy families;

     (c) To the extent that this provision is consistent with section 1903(m) of Title XIX of the federal social security act or federal demonstration waivers granted under section 1115(a) of Title XI of the federal social security act, recipients shall have a choice of systems in which to enroll and shall have the right to terminate their enrollment in a system: PROVIDED, That the authority may limit recipient termination of enrollment without cause to the first month of a period of enrollment, which period shall not exceed twelve months: AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That the authority shall not restrict a recipient's right to terminate enrollment in a system for good cause as established by the authority by rule;

     (d) To the extent that this provision is consistent with section 1903(m) of Title XIX of the federal social security act, participating managed health care systems shall not enroll a disproportionate number of medical assistance recipients within the total numbers of persons served by the managed health care systems, except as authorized by the authority under federal demonstration waivers granted under section 1115(a) of Title XI of the federal social security act;

     (e)(i) In negotiating with managed health care systems the authority shall adopt a uniform procedure to enter into contractual arrangements, to be included in contracts issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2012, including:

     (A) Standards regarding the quality of services to be provided;

     (B) The financial integrity of the responding system;

     (C) Provider reimbursement methods that incentivize chronic care management within health homes;

     (D) Provider reimbursement methods that reward health homes that, by using chronic care management, reduce emergency department and inpatient use; and

     (E) Promoting provider participation in the program of training and technical assistance regarding care of people with chronic conditions described in RCW 43.70.533, including allocation of funds to support provider participation in the training, unless the managed care system is an integrated health delivery system that has programs in place for chronic care management.

     (ii)(A) Health home services contracted for under this subsection may be prioritized to enrollees with complex, high cost, or multiple chronic conditions.

     (B) Contracts that include the items in (e)(i)(C) through (E) of this subsection must not exceed the rates that would be paid in the absence of these provisions;

     (f) The authority shall seek waivers from federal requirements as necessary to implement this chapter;

     (g) The authority shall, wherever possible, enter into prepaid capitation contracts that include inpatient care. However, if this is not possible or feasible, the authority may enter into prepaid capitation contracts that do not include inpatient care;

     (h) The authority shall define those circumstances under which a managed health care system is responsible for out-of-plan services and assure that recipients shall not be charged for such services;

     (i) Nothing in this section prevents the authority from entering into similar agreements for other groups of people eligible to receive services under this chapter; and

     (j) The *department must consult with the federal center for medicare and medicaid innovation and seek funding opportunities to support health homes.

     (3) The authority shall ensure that publicly supported community health centers and providers in rural areas, who show serious intent and apparent capability to participate as managed health care systems are seriously considered as contractors. The authority shall coordinate its managed care activities with activities under chapter 70.47 RCW.

     (4) The authority shall work jointly with the state of Oregon and other states in this geographical region in order to develop recommendations to be presented to the appropriate federal agencies and the United States congress for improving health care of the poor, while controlling related costs.

     (5) The legislature finds that competition in the managed health care marketplace is enhanced, in the long term, by the existence of a large number of managed health care system options for medicaid clients. In a managed care delivery system, whose goal is to focus on prevention, primary care, and improved enrollee health status, continuity in care relationships is of substantial importance, and disruption to clients and health care providers should be minimized. To help ensure these goals are met, the following principles shall guide the authority in its healthy options managed health care purchasing efforts:

     (a) All managed health care systems should have an opportunity to contract with the authority to the extent that minimum contracting requirements defined by the authority are met, at payment rates that enable the authority to operate as far below appropriated spending levels as possible, consistent with the principles established in this section.

     (b) Managed health care systems should compete for the award of contracts and assignment of medicaid beneficiaries who do not voluntarily select a contracting system, based upon:

     (i) Demonstrated commitment to or experience in serving low-income populations;

     (ii) Quality of services provided to enrollees;

     (iii) Accessibility, including appropriate utilization, of services offered to enrollees;

     (iv) Demonstrated capability to perform contracted services, including ability to supply an adequate provider network;

     (v) Payment rates; and

     (vi) The ability to meet other specifically defined contract requirements established by the authority, including consideration of past and current performance and participation in other state or federal health programs as a contractor.

     (c) Consideration should be given to using multiple year contracting periods.

     (d) Quality, accessibility, and demonstrated commitment to serving low-income populations shall be given significant weight in the contracting, evaluation, and assignment process.

     (e) All contractors that are regulated health carriers must meet state minimum net worth requirements as defined in applicable state laws. The authority shall adopt rules establishing the minimum net worth requirements for contractors that are not regulated health carriers. This subsection does not limit the authority of the Washington state health care authority to take action under a contract upon finding that a contractor's financial status seriously jeopardizes the contractor's ability to meet its contract obligations.

     (f) Procedures for resolution of disputes between the authority and contract bidders or the authority and contracting carriers related to the award of, or failure to award, a managed care contract must be clearly set out in the procurement document.

     (6) The authority may apply the principles set forth in subsection (5) of this section to its managed health care purchasing efforts on behalf of clients receiving supplemental security income benefits to the extent appropriate.

     (7) A managed health care system shall pay a nonparticipating provider that provides a service covered under this chapter to the system's enrollee no more than the lowest amount paid for that service under the managed health care system's contracts with similar providers in the state.

     (8) For services covered under this chapter to medical assistance or medical care services enrollees and provided on or after August 24, 2011, nonparticipating providers must accept as payment in full the amount paid by the managed health care system under subsection (7) of this section in addition to any deductible, coinsurance, or copayment that is due from the enrollee for the service provided. An enrollee is not liable to any nonparticipating provider for covered services, except for amounts due for any deductible, coinsurance, or copayment under the terms and conditions set forth in the managed health care system contract to provide services under this section.

     (9) Pursuant to federal managed care access standards, 42 C.F.R. Sec. 438, managed health care systems must maintain a network of appropriate providers that is supported by written agreements sufficient to provide adequate access to all services covered under the contract with the *department, including hospital-based physician services. The *department will monitor and periodically report on the proportion of services provided by contracted providers and nonparticipating providers, by county, for each managed health care system to ensure that managed health care systems are meeting network adequacy requirements. No later than January 1st of each year, the *department will review and report its findings to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the legislature for the preceding state fiscal year.

     (10) Subsections (7) through (9) of this section expire July 1, 2016.

[2011 1st sp.s. c 15 § 29; 2011 1st sp.s. c 9 § 2; 2011 c 316 § 4. Prior: 1997 c 59 § 15; 1997 c 34 § 1; 1989 c 260 § 2; 1987 1st ex.s. c 5 § 21; 1986 c 303 § 2.]

NOTES:

     Reviser's note: *(1) 2011 1st sp.s. c 15 transferred all powers, duties, and functions of the department of social and health services pertaining to the medical assistance program and the medicaid purchasing administration to the health care authority.

     (2) This section was amended by 2011 c 316 § 4, 2011 1st sp.s. c 9 § 2, and by 2011 1st sp.s. c 15 § 29, each without reference to the other. All amendments are incorporated in the publication of this section under RCW 1.12.025(2). For rule of construction, see RCW 1.12.025(1).

     Effective date -- Findings -- Intent -- Report -- Agency transfer -- References to head of health care authority -- Draft legislation -- 2011 1st sp.s. c 15: See notes following RCW 74.09.010.

     Findings -- Intent -- 2011 1st sp.s. c 9: See note following RCW 70.47.020.

     Effective date -- 1997 c 34: "This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately [April 16, 1997]." [1997 c 34 § 3.]

     Severability -- 1987 1st ex.s. c 5: See note following RCW 70.47.901.

     Legislative findings -- Intent -- 1986 c 303: "(1) The legislature finds that:

     (a) Good health care for indigent persons is of importance to the state;

     (b) To ensure the availability of a good level of health care, efforts must be made to encourage cost consciousness on the part of providers and consumers, while maintaining medical assistance recipients within the mainstream of health care delivery;

     (c) Managed health care systems have been found to be effective in controlling costs while providing good health care services;

     (d) By enrolling medical assistance recipients within managed health care systems, the state's goal is to ensure that medical assistance recipients receive at least the same quality of care they currently receive.

     (2) It is the intent of the legislature to develop and implement new strategies that promote the use of managed health care systems for medical assistance recipients by establishing prepaid capitated programs for both in-patient and out-patient services." [1986 c 303 § 1.]