Nothing in RCW 70.41.322 may be construed to:

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Terms Used In Washington Code 70.41.326

  • Aftercare: includes assistance only for conditions that were present at the time of the patient's discharge from the hospital. See Washington Code 70.41.020
  • Hospital: as used in this chapter does not include hotels, or similar places furnishing only food and lodging, or simply domiciliary care; nor does it include clinics, or physician's offices where patients are not regularly kept as bed patients for twenty-four hours or more; nor does it include nursing homes, as defined and which come within the scope of chapter 18. See Washington Code 70.41.020
  • Lay caregiver: means any individual designated as such by a patient under this chapter who provides aftercare assistance to a patient in the patient's residence. See Washington Code 70.41.020
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
(1) Interfere with the rights or duties of an agent operating under a valid health care directive under RCW 70.122.030;
(2) Interfere with designations made by a patient pursuant to a physician order for life-sustaining treatment under RCW 43.70.480;
(3) Interfere with the rights or duties of an authorized surrogate decision maker under RCW 7.70.065;
(4) Establish a new requirement to reimburse or otherwise pay for services performed by the lay caregiver for aftercare;
(5) Create a private right of action against a hospital or any of its directors, trustees, officers, employees, or agents, or any contractors with whom the hospital has a contractual relationship;
(6) Hold liable, in any way, a hospital, hospital employee, or any consultants or contractors with whom the hospital has a contractual relationship for the services rendered or not rendered by the lay caregiver to the patient at the patient’s residence;
(7) Obligate a designated lay caregiver to perform any aftercare tasks for any patient;
(8) Require a patient to designate any individual as a lay caregiver as defined in RCW 70.41.020;
(9) Obviate the obligation of a health carrier as defined in RCW 48.43.005 or any other entity issuing health benefit plans to provide coverage required under a health benefit plan; and
(10) Impact, impede, or otherwise disrupt or reduce the reimbursement obligations of a health carrier or any other entity issuing health benefit plans.