Washington Administrative Code
Title 246 - Health, Department of
HEALTH INFORMATION
Chapter 246-453 - Hospital charity care
Section 246-453-070 - Standards for acceptability of hospital policies for charity care and bad debts

(1) Each hospital shall develop, and submit to the department, charity care policies, procedures, and sliding fee schedules consistent with the requirements included in WAC 246-453-020, 246-453-030, 246-453-040, and 246-453-050. Any subsequent modifications to those policies, procedures, and sliding fee schedules must be submitted to the department no later than thirty days prior to their adoption by the hospital.

(2) Each hospital shall develop, and submit to the department, bad debt policies and procedures, including reasonable and uniform standards for collection of the unpaid portions of hospital charges that are the patient's responsibility. These standards are to be part of each hospital's system of accounts receivable management manuals, which support hospital collection policies. Manuals should cover procedures for preadmission, admission, discharge, outpatient registration and discharge, billing, and credit and collections. All subsequent modifications to these bad debt policies must be submitted to the department no later than thirty days prior to their adoption by the hospital.

(3) The department shall review the charity care and bad debt policies and procedures submitted in accordance with the provisions of this section. If any of the policies and procedures do not meet the requirements of this section or WAC 246-453-020, 246-453-030, 246-453-040, or 246-453-050, the department shall reject the policies and procedures and shall so notify the hospital. Such notification shall be in writing, addressed to the hospital's chief executive officer or equivalent, and shall specify the reason(s) that the policies and procedures have been rejected. Any such notification must be mailed within fourteen calendar days of the receipt of the hospital's policies and procedures. Within fourteen days of the date of the rejection notification, the hospital shall revise and resubmit the policies and procedures.