RCW 70.170.020 Definitions.
As used in this chapter:
(1) "Department" means department of health.
(2) "Hospital" means any health care institution which is required to qualify for a license under RCW 70.41.020 (7); or as a psychiatric hospital under chapter 71.12 RCW.
(3) "Secretary" means secretary of health.
(4) "Charity care" means medically necessary hospital health care rendered to indigent persons when third-party coverage, if any, has been exhausted, to the extent that the persons are unable to pay for the care or to pay deductibles or coinsurance amounts required by a third-party payer, as determined by the department.
(5) "Third-party coverage" means an obligation on the part of an insurance company, health care service contractor, health maintenance organization, group health plan, government program, tribal health benefits, or health care sharing ministry as defined in 26 U.S.C. Sec. 5000A to pay for the care of covered patients and services, and may include settlements, judgments, or awards actually received related to the negligent acts of others which have resulted in the medical condition for which the patient has received hospital health care service. The pendency of such settlements, judgments, or awards must not stay hospital obligations to consider an eligible patient for charity care.
(6) "Sliding fee schedule" means a hospital-determined, publicly available schedule of discounts to charges for persons deemed eligible for charity care; such schedules shall be established after consideration of guidelines developed by the department.
(7) "Special studies" means studies which have not been funded through the department's biennial or other legislative appropriations.
[ 2018 c 263 § 1; 1995 c 269 § 2203; 1989 1st ex.s. c 9 § 502.]
NOTES:
Effective date—2018 c 263: "This act takes effect October 1, 2018." [ 2018 c 263 § 3.]
Effective date—Part headings not law—Severability—1995 c 269: See notes following RCW 18.16.050.
Copyright ©2024 LegalFix. All rights reserved. LegalFix is not a law firm, is not licensed to practice law, and does not provide legal advice, services, or representation. The information on this website is an overview of the legal plans you can purchase—or that may be provided by your employer as an employee benefit or by your credit union or other membership group as a membership benefit.
LegalFix provides its members with easy access to affordable legal services through a network of independent law firms. LegalFix, its corporate entity, and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and contractors do not provide legal advice, services, or representation—directly or indirectly.
The articles and information on the site are not legal advice and should not be relied upon—they are for information purposes only. You should become a LegalFix member to get legal services from one of our network law firms.
You should not disclose confidential or potentially incriminating information to LegalFix—you should only communicate such information to your network law firm.
The benefits and legal services described in the LegalFix legal plans are not always available in all states or with all plans. See the legal plan Benefit Overview and the more comprehensive legal plan contract during checkout for coverage details in your state.
Use of this website, the purchase of legal plans, and access to the LegalFix networks of law firms are subject to the LegalFix Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.