(1) After initial certification, the certified provider must pay an annual certification fee in accordance with procedures adopted by the department. The annual certification fee must be established in the omnibus appropriations act and any amendment or additions made to that act. The certification fee established by the omnibus appropriations act or any amendment or additions to the act may not exceed the department’s costs of conducting complaint investigations as described in RCW 71A.12.350. The certification fee must include all of the department’s cost of paying providers for the amount of the certification fee attributed to medicaid clients.

(2) No fee may be required of government-operated programs or court-appointed receivers.

Requirement to cease collection of certification fee for complaint investigations—No federal matching funds—2019 c 458: “If the centers for medicare and medicaid services determines that federal funds cannot be appropriated to match state expenditures under this act, the department of social and health services must cease collecting the fee in section 2 of this act, and this act is of no force and effect. If the centers for medicare and medicaid services makes such a determination, the department must notify the office of financial management and the appropriate committees of the legislature. Rules adopted under this act must meet federal requirements that are a necessary condition to the receipt of federal funds by the state.” [ 2019 c 458 § 5.]

Effective date—2019 c 458: See note following RCW 71A.12.330.