EMERGENCY RULES
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Medicaid Purchasing Administration)
Effective Date of Rule: October 29, 2010.
Purpose: Under sections 201 and 209, chapter 564, Laws of 2009 (ESHB 1244), for fiscal years 2010 and 2011, funding for dental services is reduced from current levels. The department is amending language in sections in chapter 388-535 WAC in order to meet these targeted budget expenditure levels. The changes include, for clients though age twenty, reducing coverage of restorative services (crowns) and reducing coverage for repairs to partial dentures; for clients age twenty-one and older, reducing coverage for endodontic treatment and oral and maxillofacial surgery, eliminating coverage for cast metal framework partial dentures, immediate dentures, oral and parenteral conscious sedation, intravenous conscious sedation, and nonintravenous conscious sedation; and limiting coverage of complete dentures and overdentures. For all clients, the department is reducing coverage for partial dentures. These rules may not be applicable to clients of the division of developmental disabilities.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-535-1065, 388-535-1084, 388-535-1090, 388-535-1100, 388-535-1261, 388-535-1266, 388-535-1267, 388-535-1269, 388-535-1271, and 388-535-1450.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.08.090.
Other Authority: Sections 201 and 209, chapter 564, Laws of 2009 (ESHB 1244).
Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that in order to implement the requirements or reductions in appropriations enacted in any budget for fiscal years 2009, 2010, or 2011, which necessitates the need for the immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the fiscal needs or requirements of the agency.
Reasons for this Finding: This emergency rule filing is necessary to continue the current emergency rule adopted under WSR 10-14-049 to comply with sections 201 and 209 of the operating budget for fiscal years 2010 and 2011 with respect to dental services. To achieve further budget reductions upon order of the governor for the current fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, the medicaid purchasing administration anticipates making cuts to adult dental services effective January 1, 2011. A CR-101 was filed on October 6, 2010, as WSR 10-20-160 for the permanent rule. The department is currently preparing drafts for the permanent rule to share with providers for their input. Following this, the department plans to formally adopt the permanent rule.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 10, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 10, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: October 27, 2010.
Katherine I. Vasquez
Rules Coordinator
Reviser's note: The material contained in this filing exceeded the page-count limitations of WAC 1-21-040 for appearance in this issue of the Register. It will appear in the 10-23 issue of the Register.