WA HB2051

Requires Medicaid payment to hospitals for days when patients no longer need acute inpatient care but cannot be discharged because appropriate placement (nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult family homes, or developmental disabilities residential settings) is unavailable

Removes previous requirements that allowed medically necessary services like hemodialysis, laboratory charges, and x-rays to be billed separately during these extended stays

Pharmacy services and pharmaceuticals must still be billed and paid separately from the daily rate for difficult-to-discharge patients

Hospitals must use swing beds or skilled nursing beds within their facility first, if available and appropriate for the patient, before billing under this payment methodology

Effective date: July 27, 2025