Washington § 48.200.040 - Contract requirements — Written agreement describing rights and responsibilities — Filing of contracts — Confidentiality.

(1) A health care benefit manager may not provide health care benefit management services to a health carrier or employee benefits programs without a written agreement describing the rights and responsibilities of the parties conforming to the provisions of this chapter and any rules adopted by the commissioner to implement or enforce this chapter including rules governing contract content.

(2) A health care benefit manager must file with the commissioner in the form and manner prescribed by the commissioner, every benefit management contract and contract amendment between the health care benefit manager and a health carrier, provider, pharmacy, pharmacy services administration organization, or other health care benefit manager, entered into directly or indirectly in support of a contract with a carrier or employee benefits programs, within 30 days following the effective date of the contract or contract amendment. Contracts and contract amendments between health care benefit managers and health carriers that were executed prior to July 23, 2023, and remain in force must be filed with the commissioner no later than 60 days following July 23, 2023.

(3) Contracts filed under this section are confidential and not subject to public inspection under RCW 48.02.120(2), or public disclosure under chapter 42.56 RCW, if filed in accordance with the procedures for submitting confidential filings through the system for electronic rate and form filings and the general filing instructions as set forth by the commissioner. In the event the referenced filing fails to comply with the filing instructions setting forth the process to withhold the contract from public inspection, and the health care benefit manager indicates that the contract is to be withheld from public inspection, the commissioner must reject the filing and notify the health care benefit manager through the system for electronic rate and form filings to amend its filing to comply with the confidentiality filing instructions.