Section 284-51-245 - Miscellaneous provisions(1) A secondary plan that provides benefits in the form of services may recover the reasonable cash value of the services from the primary plan, to the extent that benefits for the services are covered by the primary plan and have not already been paid or provided by the primary plan. Nothing in this provision requires a plan to reimburse a covered person in cash for the value of services provided by a plan that provides benefits in the form of services.(2)(a) A plan with order of benefit determination rules that comply with this chapter (complying plan) may coordinate its benefits with a plan that is "excess" or "always secondary" or that uses order of benefit determination rules that are inconsistent with those contained in this chapter (noncomplying plan) on the following basis:(i) If the complying plan is the primary plan, it must pay or provide its benefits first;(ii) If the complying plan is the secondary plan under the order of benefit determination in this chapter, it must pay or provide its benefits first, but the amount of the benefits payable must be determined as if the complying plan were the secondary plan. In this situation, the payment is the limit of the complying plan's liability; and(iii) If the noncomplying plan does not provide the information needed by the complying plan to determine its benefits within forty-five days after the date on the letter making the request, the complying plan may assume the benefits of the noncomplying plan are identical to its own, and pay its benefits accordingly. If, within twenty-four months after payment, the complying plan receives information as to the actual benefits of the noncomplying plan, it must adjust payments accordingly between the plans.(b) If the noncomplying plan reduces its benefits so that the covered person receives less in benefits than the covered person would have received had the complying plan paid or provided its benefits as the secondary plan and the noncomplying plan paid or provided its benefits as the primary plan, and governing state law allows the right of subrogation outlined below, then the complying plan may advance to the covered person or on behalf of the covered person an amount equal to the difference.(c) In no event may the complying plan advance more than the complying plan would have paid had it been the primary plan less any amount it previously paid for the same expense or service. In consideration of the advance, the complying plan is subrogated to all rights of the covered person against the noncomplying plan. The advance by the complying plan must be without prejudice to any claim it may have against a noncomplying plan in the absence of subrogation.(3) COB differs from subrogation. Provisions for one may be included in plans without compelling the inclusion or exclusion of the other.(4) If the plans cannot agree on the order of benefits within thirty calendar days after the plans have received the information needed to pay the claim, the plans must immediately pay the claim in equal shares and determine their relative liabilities following payment. No plan is required to pay more than it would have paid had it been the primary plan.Wash. Admin. Code § 284-51-245
Statutory Authority: RCW 48.20.60 [48.20.060], 48.21.200,48.44.050, and 48.46.200. 07-13-008 (Matter No. R 2005-07), § 284-51-245, filed 6/8/07, effective 7/9/07.