Washington Revised Code Title 74. Public Assistance § 74.09.650. Prescription drug assistance program

(1) To the extent funds are appropriated specifically for this purpose, and subject to any conditions placed on appropriations made for this purpose, the authority shall design a medicaid prescription drug assistance program. Neither the benefits of, nor eligibility for, the program is considered to be an entitlement.

(2) The authority shall request any federal waiver necessary to implement this program. Consistent with federal waiver conditions, the department may charge enrollment fees, premiums, or point-of-service cost-sharing to program enrollees.

(3) Eligibility for this program is limited to persons:

(4) The authority shall use a cost-effective prescription drug benefit design. Consistent with federal waiver conditions, this benefit design may be different than the benefit design offered under the medical assistance program. The benefit design may include a deductible benefit that provides coverage when enrollees incur higher prescription drug costs as defined by the department. The authority also may offer more than one benefit design.

(5) The authority shall limit enrollment of persons who qualify for the program so as to prevent an overexpenditure of appropriations for this program or to assure necessary compliance with federal waiver budget neutrality requirements. The authority may not reduce existing medical assistance program eligibility or benefits to assure compliance with federal waiver budget neutrality requirements.

(6) Premiums paid by medicaid enrollees not in the medicaid prescription drug assistance program may not be used to finance the medicaid prescription drug assistance program.

(7) This program will be terminated within twelve months after implementation of a prescription drug benefit under Title XVIII of the federal social security act.