Washington Administrative Code › Title 246 - Health, Department of › HEALTH INFORMATION › Chapter 246-455 - Hospital patient discharge information reporting › Section 246-455-035 - Waiver for reporting the additional patient demographic information

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(1) Beginning
				October 1, 2022, a hospital that is certified by the Centers for Medicare and
				Medicaid Services as a critical access hospital, is certified by the Centers of
				Medicare and Medicaid Services as a sole community hospital, or qualifies as a
				medicare dependent hospital must comply with this section.
(2)
(a) A
				hospital subject to the additional patient demographic information reporting
				requirements in
				RCW
				 43.70.052(6)(a) and WAC
				246-455-025, and is experiencing an economic hardship, technological
				limitations that are not reasonably in the control of the hospital, or other
				exceptional circumstance demonstrated by the hospital, may submit an
				attestation to the department requesting a waiver of the additional patient
				demographic information reporting requirements in
				RCW
				 43.70.052(6)(a) and WAC
				246-455-025.
(b) The waiver
				attestation with supporting documentation must be submitted on forms provided
				by the department. The waiver is deemed granted upon written or electronic
				approval from the department. The department may request additional information
				to complete the attestation. The department, in its discretion, may deny the
				waiver request if the hospital fails to comply with the requirements in
				RCW
				 43.70.052(6) and this
				section.
(c) A hospital that has
				been granted a waiver shall be exempt from reporting the additional patient
				discharge information outlined by WAC 246-455-025 for one calendar year. The
				one calendar year starts at the beginning of the next calendar month after the
				waiver is approved. The waiver is effective when the department sends written
				or electronic approval to the hospital.
(d) A hospital seeking an extension on its
				approved waiver must apply for an extension before the waiver expires. If the
				hospital does not apply for an extension before the waiver expires, the
				hospital must collect and report the additional patient discharge information
				in
				RCW
				 43.70.052(6)(a) and WAC
				246-455-025 and will not be eligible for an additional waiver.
(e) For economic hardship or technological
				limitations that are not reasonably in the control of the hospital, a hospital
				may only submit up to a total of three waiver attestations to the
				department.
(f) For other
				exceptional circumstances, there is no limit on the number of waiver
				attestations that a hospital may submit to the department.
(g) The hospital must begin collecting the
				additional patient discharge information in
				RCW
				 43.70.052(6)(a) and WAC
				246-455-025 immediately following the waiver expiration.
(h) Data collected under a waiver must be
				reported consistent with WAC
				246-455-020,
				and data collected after the waiver expiration must be reported consistent with
				both WAC
				246-455-020
				and 246-455-025. Data must be submitted according to the deadline for
				submission required by WAC
				246-455-050.