Search   | Contact Us | Site Map
Become a member

Other Legal Information

New Mandatory Reporting Rules Now in Effect

On March 31, 2008 the Department of Health (DoH) adopted uniform mandatory reporting rules for all health professionals (including physicians and physician assistants). The rules went into effect on May 1.

The rules were adopted pursuant to legislation passed in 2006 (HB 2974) authorizing the DoH to adopt rules requiring every license holder to:

  • Report any conviction, determination, or finding to DoH that another license holder has committed an act which constitutes unprofessional conduct, or
  • Report information to DoH or an approved impaired practitioner program, like the Washington Physicians Health Program, that a license holder may not be able to practice with reasonable skill and safety.

The rules (which provide the details about what, when and where to report) are codified under Washington State Administrative Code 246-16-200 through 265.

View the new rules here.

 

Payout to doctors pending in BCBS settlement

Several provisions in the national Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) settlement took effect April 21, after a final order was filed by the federal court in Miami. The development brings the $128 million payout to eligible physicians one step closer and allows the American Medical Association (AMA) to commence enforcement of the national BCBS settlement as an additional signatory medical society. The AMA joins 27 other participating medical societies that are able to provide direct assistance to physicians when a BCBS plan or subsidiary has failed to honor its commitments under the settlement.

The final order comes almost a year after 23 BCBS plans settled a class action lawsuit brought by 90,000 physicians against the BCBS Association and more than 30 affiliated plans and subsidiaries. The settlements are designed to curb contentious business practices that have long frustrated physicians and jeopardized the delivery of quality patient care. If a BCBS plan chooses to not hold up its end of the bargain, physicians have a free, simple enforcement process that can resolve the matter.

There are special provisions in the settlements that are specific to particular states. Access the AMA’s online interactive map that lists which BCBS plans and subsidiaries have settled, the state-specific provisions of the agreement and a flyer containing the key provisions of the BCBS settlement.



site map