RCW 74.48.040 — Administration and collection.

1. (1) The department, in cooperation with the office of financial management, shall develop rules for determining the amount to be assessed to individual skilled nursing facilities, notifying individual skilled nursing facilities of the assessed amount, and collecting the amounts due. Such rule making shall specifically include provision for:

   1. (a) Payment of the skilled nursing facility safety net assessment;
   2. (b) Interest on delinquent assessments;

   3. (c) Adjustment of the assessment amounts as follows:

      1. (i) The assessment amounts under RCW 74.48.030 may be adjusted as follows:

         1. (A) If sufficient other appropriated funds for skilled nursing facilities, are available to support the nursing facility reimbursement rates as authorized in the biennial appropriations act and other uses and payments permitted by RCW 74.48.020 and 74.48.030 without utilizing the full assessment authorized under RCW 74.48.030, the department shall reduce the amount of the assessment to the minimum level necessary to support those reimbursement rates and other uses and payments.
         2. (B) So long as none of the conditions set forth in RCW 74.48.060(2) have occurred, if the department's forecasts indicate that the assessment amounts under RCW 74.48.030, together with all other appropriated funds, are not sufficient to support the skilled nursing facility reimbursement rates authorized in the biennial appropriations act and other uses and payments authorized under RCW 74.48.020 and 74.48.030, the department shall increase the assessment rates to the amount necessary to support those reimbursement rates and other payments to the maximum amount allowable under federal law.
         3. (C) Any positive balance remaining in the fund at the end of the fiscal year shall be applied to reduce the assessment amount for the subsequent fiscal year.
      2. (ii) Beginning July 1, 2012, any adjustment to the assessment amounts pursuant to this subsection, and the data supporting such adjustment, including but not limited to relevant data listed in subsection (2) of this section, must be submitted to the Washington health care association, and aging services of Washington, for review and comment at least sixty calendar days prior to implementation of such adjusted assessment amounts. Any review and comment provided by the Washington health care association, and aging services of Washington, shall not limit the ability of either association or its members to challenge an adjustment or other action by the department that is not made in accordance with this chapter.

2. (2) By November 30th of each year, the department shall provide the following data to the office of financial management, the chair of the fiscal committee of the senate and the house of representatives, the Washington health care association, and aging services of Washington:

   1. (a) The fund balance; and
   2. (b) The amount of assessment paid by each skilled nursing facility.
3. (3) Assessments shall be assessed from July 1, 2011.

[ 2011 1st sp.s. c 7 s 16.]