Medical assist reprocurement

AN ACT Relating to the reprocurement of medical assistance 1
services, including the realignment of behavioral health crisis 2
services for medicaid enrollees; amending RCW 71.24.380 and 3
74.09.871; reenacting and amending RCW 71.24.045; adding a new 4
section to chapter 74.09 RCW; and providing an effective date.5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:6
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 74.09 7
RCW to read as follows: 8
(1)(a) The authority shall initiate a competitive bid process for 9
the reprocurement of services to enrollees of medical assistance 10
programs authorized under this chapter. The reprocurement process 11
must comply with the contract requirements and procurement standards 12
established in RCW 74.09.871. The reprocurement process must be open 13
for bid no later than July 31, 2026. 14
(b)(i) Except as provided in (b)(ii) of this subsection (1), the 15
reprocurement in (a) of this subsection (1) shall include all 16
services provided through medical assistance programs authorized 17
under this chapter, including physical health services, behavioral 18
health services, long-term services and supports, and other medical 19
assistance-related services, as determined by the authority.20
H-1083.1
HOUSE BILL 1813
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Macri, Doglio, Parshley, Davis, Ormsby, Scott, and
Pollet
Read first time 02/04/25. Referred to Committee on Health Care &
Wellness.
p. 1 HB 1813
(ii) The reprocurement in (a) of this subsection (1) may not 1
include behavioral health crisis services, as those services are 2
identified in RCW 71.24.045 to exist on January 1, 2027. The 3
reprocurement shall also exclude funding and contractual authority 4
for mobile crisis response, mobile rapid response crisis teams, 5
community-based crisis teams, crisis stabilization, 23-hour crisis 6
observation facilities, and crisis intervention services. These 7
medicaid services and program types shall transition to the authority 8
of the behavioral health administrative services organizations 9
pursuant to subsection (2) of this section no later than January 1, 10
2027. 11
(2)(a) As provided in RCW 71.24.380, the authority shall contract 12
with the behavioral health administrative services organizations to 13
provide all of the behavioral health services identified in RCW 14
71.24.045, as they exist on January 1, 2027. Consistent with RCW 15
71.24.380(3)(b), beginning January 1, 2027, this contract must 16
include administration of behavioral health crisis services, as 17
defined in RCW 71.24.045(1), for medicaid enrollees enrolled in 18
managed care organizations. The authority shall distribute the funds 19
through contracts with the behavioral health administrative services 20
organizations. 21
(b) The authority shall conduct a comprehensive funding analysis 22
by January 1, 2026, to determine the financial needs of each 23
behavioral health administrative services organization region for the 24
delivery of the behavioral health services identified in RCW 25
71.24.045, as they exist on January 1, 2027. This funding analysis 26
must evaluate both medicaid and nonmedicaid financial needs to assure 27
that funding supports all individuals in need, regardless of their 28
insurance status. The rate analysis must include: 29
(i) A review of service delivery models within each behavioral 30
health administrative services organization region, including mobile 31
crisis response, facility-based crisis stabilization services, and 32
other crisis services; 33
(ii) A calculation of the funding required to maintain the 34
region's 24 hour a day, continuously operating crisis response system 35
that fulfills the requirements of the authority's contract with the 36
behavioral health administrative services organization and is 37
available to the region's population regardless of insurance status, 38
factoring in both medicaid reimbursements and any additional funding 39
p. 2 HB 1813
requirements to support nonmedicaid populations, including 1
individuals with private insurance or no insurance; and2
(iii) Recommendations for establishing budgets for each region to 3
assure adequate service delivery, including staffing levels, 4
infrastructure, and service accessibility with a continuous review 5
policy that includes analysis of utilization trends or other measures 6
of regional need. 7
(c) When new programs or facilities including, but not limited 8
to, those programs and facilities described in subsection (1)(b)(i) 9
and (ii) of this section are established or existing services are 10
expanded in a region, the authority shall direct the state's medicaid 11
actuaries to promptly adjust the region's medicaid rates to include a 12
programmatic adjustment related to the new or expanded service. The 13
state contract with the relevant behavioral health administrative 14
services organization must be promptly adjusted to reflect the 15
projected increase or decrease in service capacity. Adjustments must 16
be based on the operational costs of the new or expanded facility or 17
program, including staffing and resources required to support the 18
delivery of services and the projected number of individuals served, 19
assuring that both medicaid and nonmedicaid populations are served 20
effectively. 21
(3)(a) The authority shall collaborate with the behavioral health 22
administrative services organizations and managed care organizations 23
to establish a comprehensive transition plan for those behavioral 24
health crisis services that will transition from the managed care 25
organizations to the behavioral health administrative services 26
organizations no later than January 1, 2027. 27
(b) The transition plan must address, at a minimum, strategies 28
for: 29
(i) Assuring seamless coordination between behavioral health 30
administrative services organizations, managed care organizations, 31
and local behavioral health services providers during the transition 32
period; 33
(ii) Establishing timelines and milestones for phasing in the 34
behavioral health crisis services that will transition administration 35
by the managed care organizations to the behavioral health 36
administrative services organizations, including key responsibilities 37
for the authority, the behavioral health administrative services 38
organizations, and the managed care organizations; and39
p. 3 HB 1813
(iii) Developing plans for managing the opening of new programs, 1
facilities, and services, as they become available.2
(c) The authority shall complete and submit the transition plan 3
to the governor and both houses of the legislature by December 31, 4
2025. 5
Sec. 2. RCW 71.24.045 and 2024 c 368 s 3 and 2024 c 209 s 30 are 6
each reenacted and amended to read as follows: 7
(1) The behavioral health administrative services organization 8
contracted with the authority pursuant to RCW 71.24.381 shall:9
(a) Administer crisis services for the assigned regional service 10
area. Such services must include: 11
(i) A behavioral health crisis hotline that operates 24 hours a 12
day every day for its assigned regional service area that provides 13
immediate support, triage, and referral for individuals experiencing 14
behavioral health crises, including the capacity to connect 15
individuals with trained crisis counselors and, when appropriate, 16
dispatch additional crisis services; 17
(ii) Crisis response services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 18
365 days a year; 19
(iii) Services related to involuntary commitments under chapters 20
71.05 and 71.34 RCW; 21
(iv) Tracking of less restrictive alternative orders issued 22
within the region by superior courts, and providing notification to a 23
managed care organization in the region when one of its enrollees 24
receives a less restrictive alternative order so that the managed 25
care organization may ensure that the person is connected to services 26
and that the requirements of RCW 71.05.585 are complied with. If the 27
person receives a less restrictive alternative order and is returning 28
to another region, the behavioral health administrative services 29
organization shall notify the behavioral health administrative 30
services organization in the home region of the less restrictive 31
alternative order so that the home behavioral health administrative 32
services organization may notify the person's managed care 33
organization or provide services if the person is not enrolled in 34
medicaid and does not have other insurance which can pay for those 35
services; 36
(v) Additional noncrisis behavioral health services, within 37
available resources, to individuals who meet certain criteria set by 38
the authority in its contracts with the behavioral health 39
p. 4 HB 1813
administrative services organization. These services may include 1
services provided through federal grant funds, provisos, and general 2
fund state appropriations; 3
(vi) Care coordination, diversion services, and discharge 4
planning for nonmedicaid individuals transitioning from state 5
hospitals or inpatient settings to reduce rehospitalization and 6
utilization of crisis services, as required by the authority in 7
contract; 8
(vii) Regional coordination, cross-system and cross-jurisdiction 9
coordination with tribal governments, and capacity building efforts, 10
such as supporting the behavioral health advisory board and efforts 11
to support access to services or to improve the behavioral health 12
system; and 13
(viii) Duties under RCW 71.24.432; 14
(b) Administer and provide for the availability of an adequate 15
network of evaluation and treatment services to ensure access to 16
treatment, investigation, transportation, court-related, and other 17
services provided as required under chapter 71.05 RCW;18
(c) Coordinate services for individuals under RCW 71.05.365;19
(d) Administer and provide for the availability of resource 20
management services, residential services, and community support 21
services as required under its contract with the authority;22
(e) Contract with a sufficient number, as determined and funded 23
by the authority, of licensed or certified providers for crisis 24
services ((and other)), including:25
(i) Mobile crisis response to provide behavioral health 26
assessments, interventions, and support in response to behavioral 27
health crises;28
(ii) Facility-based crisis services to care for individuals in 29
behavioral health crises, such as crisis stabilization services as 30
defined in RCW 71.24.025, walk-in centers, peer-run crisis services, 31
and outreach programs;32
(iii) Peer support service provided by certified peer 33
specialists; and34
(iv) Other behavioral health services required by the authority;35
(f) ((Maintain adequate reserves or secure a bond as required by 36
its contract with the authority )) Collaborate with the authority to 37
identify a business-sound model for establishing adequate reserve 38
thresholds during the implementation of the contract in section 1 (2) 39
of this act; 40
p. 5 HB 1813
(g) Establish and maintain quality assurance processes;1
(h) Meet established limitations on administrative costs for 2
agencies that contract with the behavioral health administrative 3
services organization; and 4
(i) Maintain patient tracking information as required by the 5
authority. 6
(2) The behavioral health administrative services organization 7
must collaborate with the authority and its contracted managed care 8
organizations to develop and implement strategies to coordinate care 9
with tribes and community behavioral health providers for individuals 10
with a history of frequent crisis system utilization.11
(3) The behavioral health administrative services organization 12
shall: 13
(a) Assure that the special needs of minorities, older adults, 14
individuals with disabilities, children, and low-income persons are 15
met; 16
(b) Collaborate with local and tribal government entities to 17
ensure that policies do not result in an adverse shift of persons 18
with mental illness into state, local, and tribal correctional 19
facilities; and 20
(c) Work with the authority to expedite the enrollment or 21
reenrollment of eligible persons leaving state or local correctional 22
facilities and institutions for mental diseases. 23
(4) The behavioral health administrative services organization 24
shall employ an assisted outpatient treatment program coordinator to 25
oversee system coordination and legal compliance for assisted 26
outpatient treatment under RCW 71.05.148 and 71.34.815.27
(5) The behavioral health administrative services organization 28
shall comply and ensure their contractors comply with the tribal 29
crisis coordination plan agreed upon by the authority and tribes for 30
coordination of crisis services, care coordination, and discharge and 31
transition planning with tribes and Indian health care providers 32
applicable to their regional service area. 33
(6)(a) The authority shall collect data on the outcomes and 34
utilization of behavioral health crisis services by medicaid 35
enrollees including, but not limited to:36
(i) The number of individuals served by crisis services;37
(ii) Demographic data of individuals accessing services; and38
(iii) Key outcomes such as reductions in hospital admissions, law 39
enforcement involvement, and recidivism to crisis care.40
p. 6 HB 1813
(b) Beginning December 1, 2027, and each December 1st thereafter, 1
the authority shall submit an annual report to the governor and each 2
house of the legislature detailing the utilization and effectiveness 3
of the provision of behavioral health crisis and stabilization 4
services for medicaid enrollees by behavioral health administrative 5
services organizations, including recommendations for further 6
improvements or adjustment in funding.7
(c) Each behavioral health administrative services organization 8
shall submit annual reports to the authority outlining their regional 9
performance in serving medicaid enrollees, including metrics on 10
service availability, coordination, and outcomes, as well as any 11
identified challenges in implementing the transition plan in section 12
1(3) of this act.13
(7)(a) The authority shall collaborate with public health 14
agencies, community organizations, and law enforcement agencies to 15
develop an outreach campaign informing the public of the availability 16
of behavioral health crisis services, including the 988 crisis line, 17
mobile crisis response, and other programs and facilities described 18
in section 1(1)(b)(i) and (ii) of this act.19
(b) Each behavioral health administrative services organization 20
shall coordinate regionally to implement local outreach and education 21
campaigns to increase public awareness and encourage access to 22
available crisis services, subject to the availability of funding 23
from the authority for this purpose.24
Sec. 3. RCW 71.24.380 and 2023 c 51 s 32 are each amended to 25
read as follows: 26
(1) The director shall purchase behavioral health services 27
primarily through managed care contracting, but may continue to 28
purchase behavioral health services directly from providers serving 29
medicaid clients who are not enrolled in a managed care organization.30
(2) The director shall require that contracted managed care 31
organizations have a sufficient network of providers to provide 32
adequate access to behavioral health services for residents of the 33
regional service area that meet eligibility criteria for services, 34
and for maintenance of quality assurance processes. Contracts with 35
managed care organizations must comply with all federal medicaid and 36
state law requirements related to managed health care contracting, 37
including RCW 74.09.522. 38
p. 7 HB 1813
(3) ((A))(a) Until January 1, 2027, a managed care organization 1
must contract with the authority's selected behavioral health 2
administrative services organization for the assigned regional 3
service area for the administration of crisis services. The contract 4
shall require the managed care organization to reimburse the 5
behavioral health administrative services organization for behavioral 6
health crisis services delivered to individuals enrolled in the 7
managed care organization. 8
(b) Beginning January 1, 2027, as provided in section 1 of this 9
act, the director shall contract with the authority's selected 10
behavioral health administrative services organization for the 11
assigned regional service area for the administration of behavioral 12
health crisis services, as defined in RCW 71.24.045(1), for medicaid 13
enrollees enrolled in managed care organizations.14
(4) The authority must contract with the department of commerce 15
for the provision of behavioral health consumer advocacy services 16
delivered to individuals enrolled in a managed care organization by 17
the advocacy organization selected by the state office of behavioral 18
health consumer advocacy established in RCW 71.40.030. The contract 19
shall require the authority to reimburse the department of commerce 20
for the behavioral health consumer advocacy services delivered to 21
individuals enrolled in a managed care organization.22
(5) ((A managed care organization )) Organizations and behavioral 23
health administrative services organizations must collaborate with 24
the authority ((and its contracted behavioral health administrative 25
services organization )) to develop and implement strategies to 26
coordinate care with tribes and community behavioral health providers 27
for individuals with a history of frequent crisis system utilization.28
(6) A managed care organization must work closely with designated 29
crisis responders, behavioral health administrative services 30
organizations, and behavioral health providers to maximize 31
appropriate placement of persons into community services, ensuring 32
the client receives the least restrictive level of care appropriate 33
for their condition. Additionally, the managed care organization 34
shall work with the authority to expedite the enrollment or 35
reenrollment of eligible persons leaving state or local correctional 36
facilities and institutions for mental diseases. 37
(((7) As an incentive to county authorities to become early 38
adopters of fully integrated purchasing of medical and behavioral 39
health services, the standards adopted by the authority shall provide 40
p. 8 HB 1813
for an incentive payment to counties which elect to move to full 1
integration by January 1, 2016. Subject to federal approval, the 2
incentive payment shall be targeted at ten percent of savings 3
realized by the state within the regional service area in which the 4
fully integrated purchasing takes place. Savings shall be calculated 5
in alignment with the outcome and performance measures established in 6
RCW 71.24.435, 70.320.020, and 71.36.025, and incentive payments for 7
early adopter counties shall be made available for up to a six-year 8
period, or until full integration of medical and behavioral health 9
services is accomplished statewide, whichever comes sooner, according 10
to rules to be developed by the authority.))11
Sec. 4. RCW 74.09.871 and 2023 c 292 s 2 are each amended to 12
read as follows: 13
(1) Any agreement or contract by the authority to provide 14
behavioral health services as defined under RCW 71.24.025 to persons 15
eligible for benefits under medicaid, Title XIX of the social 16
security act, and to persons not eligible for medicaid must include 17
the following: 18
(a) Contractual provisions consistent with the intent expressed 19
in RCW 71.24.015 and 71.36.005; 20
(b) Standards regarding the quality of services to be provided, 21
including increased use of evidence-based, research-based, and 22
promising practices, as defined in RCW 71.24.025; 23
(c) Accountability for the client outcomes established in RCW 24
71.24.435, 70.320.020, and 71.36.025 and performance measures linked 25
to those outcomes; 26
(d) Standards requiring behavioral health administrative services 27
organizations and managed care organizations to maintain a network of 28
appropriate providers that is supported by written agreements 29
sufficient to provide adequate access to all services covered under 30
the contract with the authority and to protect essential behavioral 31
health system infrastructure and capacity, including a continuum of 32
substance use disorder services; 33
(e) Provisions to require that medically necessary substance use 34
disorder and mental health treatment services be available to 35
clients; 36
(f) Standards requiring the use of behavioral health service 37
provider reimbursement methods that incentivize improved performance 38
with respect to the client outcomes established in RCW 71.24.435 and 39
p. 9 HB 1813
71.36.025, integration of behavioral health and primary care services 1
at the clinical level, and improved care coordination for individuals 2
with complex care needs; 3
(g) Standards related to the financial integrity of the 4
contracting entity. This subsection does not limit the authority of 5
the authority to take action under a contract upon finding that a 6
contracting entity's financial status jeopardizes the contracting 7
entity's ability to meet its contractual obligations;8
(h) Mechanisms for monitoring performance under the contract and 9
remedies for failure to substantially comply with the requirements of 10
the contract including, but not limited to, financial deductions, 11
termination of the contract, receivership, reprocurement of the 12
contract, and injunctive remedies; 13
(i) Provisions to maintain the decision-making independence of 14
designated crisis responders; and 15
(j) Provisions stating that public funds appropriated by the 16
legislature may not be used to promote or deter, encourage, or 17
discourage employees from exercising their rights under Title 29, 18
chapter 7, subchapter II, United States Code or chapter 41.56 RCW.19
(2) At least six months prior to releasing a medicaid integrated 20
managed care procurement, but no later than January 1, 2025, the 21
authority shall adopt statewide network adequacy standards that are 22
assessed on a regional basis for the behavioral health provider 23
networks maintained by managed care organizations pursuant to 24
subsection (1)(d) of this section. The standards shall require a 25
network that ensures access to appropriate and timely behavioral 26
health services for the enrollees of the managed care organization 27
who live within the regional service area. At a minimum, these 28
standards must address each behavioral health services type covered 29
by the medicaid integrated managed care contract. This includes, but 30
is not limited to: Outpatient, inpatient, and residential levels of 31
care for adults and youth with a mental health disorder; outpatient, 32
inpatient, and residential levels of care for adults and youth with a 33
substance use disorder; ((crisis and stabilization services; )) 34
providers of medication for opioid use disorders; specialty care; 35
other facility-based services; and other providers as determined by 36
the authority through this process. The authority shall apply the 37
standards regionally and shall incorporate behavioral health system 38
needs and considerations as follows: 39
p. 10 HB 1813
(a) Include a process for an annual review of the network 1
adequacy standards; 2
(b) Provide for participation from counties and behavioral health 3
providers in both initial development and subsequent updates;4
(c) Account for the regional service area's population; 5
prevalence of behavioral health conditions; types of minimum 6
behavioral health services and service capacity offered by providers 7
in the regional service area; number and geographic proximity of 8
providers in the regional service area; an assessment of the needs or 9
gaps in the region; and availability of culturally specific services 10
and providers in the regional service area to address the needs of 11
communities that experience cultural barriers to health care 12
including but not limited to communities of color and the LGBTQ+ 13
community; 14
(d) Include a structure for monitoring compliance with provider 15
network standards and timely access to the services;16
(e) Consider how statewide services, such as residential 17
treatment facilities, are utilized cross-regionally; and18
(f) Consider how the standards would impact requirements for 19
behavioral health administrative service organizations.20
(3) Before releasing a medicaid integrated managed care 21
procurement, the authority shall identify options that minimize 22
provider administrative burden, including the potential to limit the 23
number of managed care organizations that operate in a regional 24
service area. 25
(4) The following factors must be given significant weight in any 26
medicaid integrated managed care procurement process under this 27
section: 28
(a) Demonstrated commitment and experience in serving low-income 29
populations; 30
(b) Demonstrated commitment and experience serving persons who 31
have mental illness, substance use disorders, or co-occurring 32
disorders; 33
(c) Demonstrated commitment to and experience with partnerships 34
with county and municipal criminal justice systems, housing services, 35
and other critical support services necessary to achieve the outcomes 36
established in RCW 71.24.435, 70.320.020, and 71.36.025;37
(d) The ability to provide for the crisis service needs of 38
medicaid enrollees, consistent with the degree to which such services 39
are funded; 40
p. 11 HB 1813
(e) Recognition that meeting enrollees' physical and behavioral 1
health care needs is a shared responsibility of contracted behavioral 2
health administrative services organizations, managed care 3
organizations, service providers, the state, and communities;4
(f) Consideration of past and current performance and 5
participation in other state or federal behavioral health programs as 6
a contractor; 7
(g) The ability to meet requirements established by the 8
authority; 9
(h) The extent to which a managed care organization's approach to 10
contracting simplifies billing and contracting burdens for community 11
behavioral health provider agencies, which may include but is not 12
limited to a delegation arrangement with a provider network that 13
leverages local, federal, or philanthropic funding to enhance the 14
effectiveness of medicaid-funded integrated care services and promote 15
medicaid clients' access to a system of services that addresses 16
additional social support services and social determinants of health 17
as defined in RCW 43.20.025; 18
(i) Demonstrated prior national or in-state experience with a 19
full continuum of behavioral health services that are substantially 20
similar to the behavioral health services covered under the 21
Washington medicaid state plan, including evidence through past and 22
current data on performance, quality, and outcomes; and23
(j) Demonstrated commitment by managed care organizations to the 24
use of alternative pricing and payment structures between a managed 25
care organization and its behavioral health services providers, 26
including provider networks described in subsection (b) of this 27
section, and between a managed care organization and a behavioral 28
administrative service organization, in any of their agreements or 29
contracts under this section, which may include but are not limited 30
to: 31
(i) Value-based purchasing efforts consistent with the 32
authority's value-based purchasing strategy, such as capitated 33
payment arrangements, comprehensive population-based payment 34
arrangements, or case rate arrangements; or 35
(ii) Payment methods that secure a sufficient amount of ready and 36
available capacity for levels of care that require staffing 24 hours 37
per day, 365 days per year, to serve anyone in the regional service 38
area with a demonstrated need for the service at all times, 39
regardless of fluctuating utilization. 40
p. 12 HB 1813
(5) The authority may use existing cross-system outcome data such 1
as the outcomes and related measures under subsection (4)(c) of this 2
section and chapter 338, Laws of 2013, to determine that the 3
alternative pricing and payment structures referenced in subsection 4
(4)(j) of this section have advanced community behavioral health 5
system outcomes more effectively than a fee-for-service model may 6
have been expected to deliver. 7
(6)(a) The authority shall urge managed care organizations to 8
establish, continue, or expand delegation arrangements with a 9
provider network that exists on July 23, 2023, and that leverages 10
local, federal, or philanthropic funding to enhance the effectiveness 11
of medicaid-funded integrated care services and promote medicaid 12
clients' access to a system of services that addresses additional 13
social support services and social determinants of health as defined 14
in RCW 43.20.025. Such delegation arrangements must meet the 15
requirements of the integrated managed care contract and the national 16
committee for quality assurance accreditation standards.17
(b) The authority shall recognize and support, and may not limit 18
or restrict, a delegation arrangement that a managed care 19
organization and a provider network described in (a) of this 20
subsection have agreed upon, provided such arrangement meets the 21
requirements of the integrated managed care contract and the national 22
committee for quality assurance accreditation standards. The 23
authority may periodically review such arrangements for effectiveness 24
according to the requirements of the integrated managed care contract 25
and the national committee for quality assurance accreditation 26
standards. 27
(c) Managed care organizations and the authority may evaluate 28
whether to establish or support future delegation arrangements with 29
any additional provider networks that may be created after July 23, 30
2023, based on the requirements of the integrated managed care 31
contract and the national committee for quality assurance 32
accreditation standards. 33
(7) The authority shall expand the types of behavioral health 34
crisis services that can be funded with medicaid to the maximum 35
extent allowable under federal law, including seeking approval from 36
the centers for medicare and medicaid services for amendments to the 37
medicaid state plan or medicaid state directed payments that support 38
the 24 hours per day, 365 days per year capacity of the crisis 39
delivery system when necessary to achieve this expansion.40
p. 13 HB 1813
(8) The authority shall, in consultation with managed care 1
organizations, review reports and recommendations of the involuntary 2
treatment act work group established pursuant to section 103, chapter 3
302, Laws of 2020 and develop a plan for adding contract provisions 4
that increase managed care organizations' accountability when their 5
enrollees require long-term involuntary inpatient behavioral health 6
treatment and shall explore opportunities to maximize medicaid 7
funding as appropriate. 8
(9) In recognition of the value of community input and consistent 9
with past procurement practices, the authority shall include county 10
and behavioral health provider representatives in the development of 11
any medicaid integrated managed care procurement process. This shall 12
include, at a minimum, two representatives identified by the 13
association of county human services and two representatives 14
identified by the Washington council for behavioral health to 15
participate in the review and development of procurement documents.16
(10) For purposes of purchasing behavioral health services and 17
medical care services for persons eligible for benefits under 18
medicaid, Title XIX of the social security act and for persons not 19
eligible for medicaid, the authority must use regional service areas. 20
The regional service areas must be established by the authority as 21
provided in RCW 74.09.870. 22
(11) Consideration must be given to using multiple-biennia 23
contracting periods. 24
(12) Each behavioral health administrative services organization 25
operating pursuant to a contract issued under this section shall 26
serve clients within its regional service area who meet the 27
authority's eligibility criteria for mental health and substance use 28
disorder services within available resources. 29
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Section 2 of this act takes effect January 30
1, 2027.31
--- END ---
p. 14 HB 1813