WA HB1743

Washington State will reimburse community-based health care providers for medical malpractice judgments or settlements exceeding $50,000 when providing services in local correctional facilities, plus reasonable defense costs.

Eligible providers must be federally qualified health centers or clinics meeting substantially similar requirements as determined by the Department of Health.

Local corrections agencies must file reimbursement claims through the sundry claim process, providing detailed information including incident dates, settlement amounts, court costs, attorneys' fees, and expert witness costs.

Reimbursement covers only health care malpractice claims under chapter 7.70 RCW, excluding damages for constitutional violations or other tortious conduct.

Department of Enterprise Services will adopt rules to implement the reimbursement program.