- Access to Care
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In accordance with 2SSB 5602 (PDF) (Laws of 2019) and WAC 246-320-141(6), the Department of Health (department) posts hospitals’ policies related to access to care. These policies are in the table below. By posting these policies, the department makes no statement as to the content of these policies.
2SSB 5602 (PDF) (Laws of 2019) and WAC 246-320-141(6) require hospitals to submit policies about admission, nondiscrimination, and reproductive health. WAC 246-320-141(6) also requires hospitals to submit policies about end-of-life care. These requirements do not apply to private psychiatric and alcoholism hospitals (WAC 246-322) and private alcohol and chemical dependency hospitals (WAC 246-324).
Submit hospital access to care policies to HospitalPolicies@doh.wa.gov.
2SSB 5602 (PDF) (Laws of 2019) required hospitals to complete and submit to the department a reproductive health services form by September 1, 2019. The purpose of this form is to provide the public with specific information about which reproductive health services are and are not generally available at each hospital. Instructions for submitting the form:
Download the fillable Reproductive Health Services form (PDF) Complete the form:- Option 1: download and print PDF form, complete relevant sections by hand, scan completed form into a new PDF.
- Option 2: download and open PDF, complete relevant fillable sections, save as new PDF.
Submit completed PDF form to HospitalPolicies@doh.wa.gov.
ESSB 5179 (PDF) (Laws of 2023) requires hospitals to complete and submit to the department an end-of-life services form within 60 days of the form being provided/posted. Hospitals were notified of the form’s availability on November 16, 2023 – therefore the deadline for submitting completed forms is January 16, 2024. The purpose of this form is to provide the public with specific information about which end of life services are and are not generally available at each hospital. Instructions for submitting the form:
Download the fillable End of Life Services form (PDF)
Complete the form:
- Option 1: download and print PDF form, complete relevant sections by hand, scan completed form into a new PDF.
- Option 2: download and open PDF, complete relevant fillable sections, save as new PDF.
- Charity Care
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RCW 70.170.060 and WAC 246-453-070 require hospitals to submit charity care policies, procedures and sliding fee schedules to the department for review and approval. The following table contains the approved charity care policies currently on file.
Submit charity care policies to CharityCare@doh.wa.gov.
- Hospital Staffing
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In 2023, the legislature passed E2SSB 5236 (PDF) regarding hospital staffing, which amends chapters 70.41, 43.70, 49.12 and 49.28 RCW, requiring hospitals to submit their hospital staffing plans to the department beginning January 1, 2025, and on an annual basis thereafter. Hospitals must also submit any hospital staffing plans that are updated throughout the year. The department interprets “annual basis” as twelve months from the last submitted plan. The department must post the hospital staffing plans it has received in the table below. By posting these hospital staffing plans, the department makes no statement as to the content of these plans.
The change to RCW 70.41.420 requiring acute care hospitals to submit their hospital staffing plans does not include private psychiatric and alcoholism hospitals (WAC 246-322), and private alcohol and chemical dependency hospitals (WAC 246-324).
See the hospital staffing webpage for information on how to submit hospital staffing plans.
Please note that some links to federal government websites may be broken due to new presidential executive orders.