RCW 70.41.520 Access to care policies for admission, nondiscrimination, and reproductive health care—Requirement to submit, post on web site, and use department-created form.

(1) By September 1, 2019, every hospital must submit to the department its policies related to access to care regarding:

(a) Admission;

(b) Nondiscrimination; and

(c) Reproductive health care.

(2) The department shall post a copy of the policies received under subsection (1) of this section on its web site.

(3) If a hospital makes changes to any of the policies listed under subsection (1) of this section, it must submit a copy of the changed policy to the department within thirty days after the hospital approves the changes.

(4) A hospital must post a copy of the policies provided to the department under subsection (1) of this section and the form required under subsection (5) of this section to the hospital's own web site in a location where the policies are readily accessible to the public without a required login or other restriction.

(5) By September 1, 2019, the department shall, in consultation with stakeholders including a hospital association and patient advocacy groups, develop a simple and clear form to be submitted by hospitals along with the policies required in subsection (1) of this section. The form must provide the public with specific information about which reproductive health care services are and are not generally available at each hospital. The form must include contact information for the hospital in case patients have specific questions about services available at the hospital.

[ 2019 c 399 § 4.]

NOTES:

Findings—Short title—2019 c 399: See notes following RCW 74.09.875.

Recommendations—Preexposure and postexposure prophylaxis financial support awareness—2019 c 399: See note following RCW 48.43.072.