Acute care hospitals
- Chapter 70.41 RCW – Hospital Licensing
- Chapter 246-320 WAC- Hospital Licensing
Alcoholism and chemical dependency hospitals
- Chapter 71.12 RCW- Private Establishments
- Chapter 246-324 WAC- Private Alcohol and Chemical Dependency Hospitals
Psychiatric hospitals
- Chapter 71.12 RCW - Private Establishments
- Chapter 246-322 WAC - Private Psychiatric and Alcoholism Hospitals
- Chapter 246-341 WAC - Behavorial Heatlh Agency Licensing and Certification Requirements
Federal regulations
Acute Care and Psychiatric Hospitals may also be Medicare certified under special conditions for coverage.
CMS State Operations Manual:
- Appendix A (PDF) – Acute Care and Psychiatric Hospitals
- Appendix W (PDF) – Critical Access Hospitals
Code of Federal Regulations:
- 42 CFR482.1 Part A – Basis and Scope
- 42 CFR482.11 Part B – Administration
- 42 CFR482.21 Part C – Basic Hospital Functions
- 42 CFR482.51 Part D – Optional Hospital Services
- 42 CFR482.60 Part E – Requirements for Specialty Hospitals
The federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA)
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) applies to all Medicare certified and critical access hospitals. This act requires that any hospital must respond to a person's emergent medical condition by determining the nature of the condition. If an urgent condition exists, it must be treated to the best of the facility's ability regardless of the patient's ability to pay. Patients may then be transferred as appropriate after stabilization of the condition.
See Regulation 42 CFR 489.24 (PDF) for more information.