The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) “Authority” means the health care authority.

(2) “Carrier” and “health carrier” have the same meaning as in RCW 48.43.005.

(3) “Claims data” means the data required by RCW 43.371.030 to be submitted to the database, including billed, allowed and paid amounts, and such additional information as defined by the director in rule.

(4) “Data supplier” means: (a) A carrier, third-party administrator, or a public program identified in RCW 43.371.030 that provides claims data; and (b) a carrier or any other entity that provides claims data to the database at the request of an employer-sponsored self-funded health plan or Taft-Hartley trust health plan pursuant to RCW 43.371.030(1).

(5) “Data vendor” means an entity contracted to perform data collection, processing, aggregation, extracts, analytics, and reporting.

(6) “Database” means the statewide all-payer health care claims database established in RCW 43.371.020.

(7) “Direct patient identifier” means a data variable that directly identifies an individual, including: Names; telephone numbers; fax numbers; social security number; medical record numbers; health plan beneficiary numbers; account numbers; certificate or license numbers; vehicle identifiers and serial numbers, including license plate numbers; device identifiers and serial numbers; web universal resource locators; internet protocol address numbers; biometric identifiers, including finger and voice prints; and full face photographic images and any comparable images.

(8) “Director” means the director of the authority.

(9) “Indirect patient identifier” means a data variable that may identify an individual when combined with other information.

(10) “Lead organization” means the organization selected under RCW 43.371.020.

(11) “Office” means the office of financial management.

(12) “Proprietary financial information” means claims data or reports that disclose or would allow the determination of specific terms of contracts, discounts, or fixed reimbursement arrangements or other specific reimbursement arrangements between an individual health care facility or health care provider, as those terms are defined in RCW 48.43.005, and a specific payer, or internal fee schedule or other internal pricing mechanism of integrated delivery systems owned by a carrier.

(13) “Unique identifier” means an obfuscated identifier assigned to an individual represented in the database to establish a basis for following the individual longitudinally throughout different payers and encounters in the data without revealing the individual’s identity.

Effective date—2019 c 319: See note following RCW 43.371.020.

Finding—2014 c 223: See note following RCW 41.05.690.