May 25, 2001

 

 

MB-AASA/AAA-HCS/DDD/RCS-01-18

MANAGEMENT BULLETIN

 

 

 

TO:                  Area Agency on Aging (AAA) Directors

                        Home and Community Services (HCS) Division Regional Administrators

 

SUBJECT:            VENDOR DISPUTE PILOT PROJECT

 

The Vendor Dispute Pilot Project is terminated effective May 8, 2001.  This means that vendors may request fair hearings only on issues of overpayments, per RCW 43.20B.675.  Vendors have no other fair hearing rights.  Vendors who requested fair hearings on non-overpayment issues prior to May 8th must be allowed to proceed with their hearings.

 

Effectively immediately, individual providers have no fair hearing rights regarding their denial to be an individual provider or their termination as an individual provider.  Clients continue to have the right to request fair hearings on vendor contract denials and terminations, per RCW 74.39A.095(7)(8).  All decisions regarding denials and terminations of vendors must be put in writing to clients on the Planned Action Notice, including the reason(s), WAC/RCW references, and right to a fair hearing. 

 

Central Contracts will handle all non-overpayment disputes until Aging and Disability Services has made a final decision about any other dispute resolution process that it may afford vendors through the contract.  Vendors should continue to receive written notification of contract denials and terminations, but the notification should not be written on the Planned Action Notice or include fair hearing rights.

 

Address questions to:

            Sue McDonough, Program Manager

            Phone:  (360) 725-2533

            E-mail:  mcdonsc@dshs.wa.gov

 

 

 

                                                                        ______________________________

                                                                        Penny Black, Director

                                                                        Home and Community Services Division