(1) The department shall establish an industrial insurance medical advisory committee. The industrial insurance medical advisory committee shall advise the department on matters related to the provision of safe, effective, and cost-effective treatments for injured workers, including but not limited to the development of practice guidelines and coverage criteria, review of coverage decisions and technology assessments, review of medical programs, and review of rules pertaining to health care issues. The industrial insurance medical advisory committee may provide peer review and advise and assist the department in the resolution of controversies, disputes, and problems between the department and the providers of medical care. The industrial insurance medical advisory committee must consider the best available scientific evidence and expert opinion of committee members. The department may hire any expert or service or create an ad hoc committee, group, or subcommittee it deems necessary to fulfill the purposes of the industrial insurance medical advisory committee. In addition, the industrial insurance medical advisory committee may consult nationally recognized experts in evidence-based health care on particularly controversial issues.

(2) The industrial insurance medical advisory committee is composed of up to fourteen members appointed by the director. The members must not include any department employees. The director shall select twelve members from the nominations provided by statewide clinical groups, specialties, and associations, including but not limited to the following: Family or general practice, orthopedics, neurology, neurosurgery, general surgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, psychiatry, internal medicine, osteopathic, pain management, and occupational medicine. At least two members must be physicians who are recognized for expertise in evidence-based medicine. The director may choose up to two additional members, not necessarily from the nominations submitted, who have expertise in occupational medicine.

(3) The industrial insurance medical advisory committee shall choose its chair from among its membership.

(4) The members of the industrial insurance medical advisory committee, including hired experts and any ad hoc group or subcommittee: (a) Are immune from civil liability for any official acts performed in good faith to further the purposes of the industrial insurance medical advisory committee; and (b) may be compensated for participation in the work of the industrial insurance medical advisory committee in accordance with a personal services contract to be executed after appointment and before commencement of activities related to the work of the industrial insurance medical advisory committee.

(5) The members of the industrial insurance medical advisory committee shall disclose all potential financial conflicts of interest including contracts with or employment by a manufacturer, provider, or vendor of health technologies, drugs, medical devices, diagnostic tools, or other medical services during their term or for eighteen months before their appointment. As a condition of appointment, each person must agree to the terms and conditions regarding conflicts of interest as determined by the director.

(6) The industrial insurance medical advisory committee shall meet at the times and places designated by the director and hold meetings during the year as necessary to provide advice to the director. Meetings of the industrial insurance medical advisory committee are subject to chapter 42.30 RCW, the open public meetings act.

(7) The industrial insurance medical advisory committee shall coordinate with the state health technology assessment program and state prescription drug program as necessary. As provided by RCW 70.14.100 and 70.14.050, the decisions of the state health technology assessment program and those of the state prescription drug program hold greater weight than decisions made by the department's industrial insurance medical advisory committee under Title 51 RCW.

(8) Neither the industrial insurance medical advisory committee nor any group is an agency for purposes of chapter 34.05 RCW.

(9) The department shall provide administrative support to the industrial insurance medical advisory committee and adopt rules to carry out the purposes of this section.

(10) The chair and ranking minority member of the house of representatives commerce and labor committee or the chair and ranking minority member of the senate labor, commerce, research and development committee, or successor committees, may request that the industrial insurance medical advisory committee review a medical issue related to industrial insurance and provide a written report to the house of representatives commerce and labor committee and the senate labor, commerce, research and development committee, or successor committees. The industrial insurance medical advisory committee is not required to act on the request.

(11) The workers' compensation advisory committee may request that the industrial insurance medical advisory committee consider specific medical issues that have arisen multiple times during the work of the workers' compensation advisory committee. The industrial insurance medical advisory committee is not required to act on the request.

Report to legislature—2007 c 282: "The director, the industrial insurance medical advisory committee, and the industrial insurance chiropractic advisory committee shall report to the appropriate committees of the legislature on the following:

(1) A summary of the types of issues reviewed by the industrial insurance medical advisory committee and the industrial insurance chiropractic advisory committee and decisions in each matter;

(2) Whether the industrial insurance medical advisory committee or the industrial insurance chiropractic advisory committee became involved in the resolution of any disputes or controversies and the results of those disputes or controversies as a result of the involvement of the industrial insurance medical advisory committee or the industrial insurance chiropractic advisory committee;

(3) The extent to which the industrial insurance medical advisory committee and the industrial insurance chiropractic advisory committee conducted any peer reviews and the results of those reviews;

(4) The extent of any practice guidelines or coverage criteria developed by the industrial insurance medical advisory committee or the industrial insurance chiropractic advisory committee and the success of those developments; and

(5) The extent to which the industrial insurance medical advisory committee and the industrial insurance chiropractic advisory committee provided advice on coverage decisions and technology assessments.

The report is due no later than June 30, 2011, and must contain a recommendation about whether the industrial insurance medical advisory committee and the industrial insurance chiropractic advisory committee should continue as originally configured or whether any changes are needed." [ 2007 c 282 s 3.]