WASHINGTON STATUTES AND CODES

48.46.040 - Certificate of registration -- Issuance -- Grounds for refusal -- Name restrictions -- Inspection and review of facilities.

Certificate of registration — Issuance — Grounds for refusal — Name restrictions — Inspection and review of facilities.

The commissioner shall issue a certificate of registration to the applicant within sixty days of such filing unless he or she notifies the applicant within such time that such application is not complete and the reasons therefor; or that he or she is not satisfied that:

     (1) The basic organizational document of the applicant permits the applicant to conduct business as a health maintenance organization;

     (2) The organization has demonstrated the intent and ability to assure that comprehensive health care services will be provided in a manner to assure both their availability and accessibility;

     (3) The organization is financially responsible and may be reasonably expected to meet its obligations to its enrolled participants. In making this determination, the commissioner shall consider among other relevant factors:

     (a) Any agreements with an insurer, a medical or hospital service bureau, a government agency or any other organization paying or insuring payment for health care services;

     (b) Any agreements with providers for the provision of health care services;

     (c) Any arrangements for liability and malpractice insurance coverage; and

     (d) Adequate procedures to be implemented to meet the protection against insolvency requirements in RCW 48.46.245;

     (4) The procedures for offering health care services and offering or terminating contracts with enrolled participants are reasonable and equitable in comparison with prevailing health insurance subscription practices and health maintenance organization enrollment procedures; and, that

     (5) Procedures have been established to:

     (a) Monitor the quality of care provided by such organization, including, as a minimum, procedures for internal peer review;

     (b) Resolve complaints and grievances initiated by enrolled participants in accordance with RCW 48.46.010 and 48.46.100;

     (c) Offer enrolled participants an opportunity to participate in matters of policy and operation in accordance with RCW *48.46.020(7) and 48.46.070.

     No person to whom a certificate of registration has not been issued, except a health maintenance organization certified by the secretary of the department of health and human services, pursuant to Public Law 93-222 or its successor, shall use the words "health maintenance organization" or the initials "HMO" in its name, contracts, or literature. Persons who are contracting with, operating in association with, recruiting enrolled participants for, or otherwise authorized by a health maintenance organization possessing a certificate of registration to act on its behalf may use the terms "health maintenance organization" or "HMO" for the limited purpose of denoting or explaining their relationship to such health maintenance organization.

     The department of health, at the request of the insurance commissioner, shall inspect and review the facilities of every applicant health maintenance organization to determine that such facilities are reasonably adequate to provide the health care services offered in their contracts. If the commissioner has information to indicate that such facilities fail to continue to be adequate to provide the health care services offered, the department of health, upon request of the insurance commissioner, shall reinspect and review the facilities and report to the insurance commissioner as to their adequacy or inadequacy.