(1) The authority shall, upon the request of a county authority or authorities within a regional service area, collaborate with counties to create an interlocal leadership structure that includes participation from counties and the managed health care systems serving that regional service area. The interlocal leadership structure must include representation from physical and behavioral health care providers, tribes, and other entities serving the regional service area as necessary.

(2) The interlocal leadership structure regional organization must be chaired by the counties and jointly administered by the authority, managed health care systems, and counties. It must design and implement the fully integrated managed care model for that regional service area to assure clients are at the center of care delivery and support integrated delivery of physical and behavioral health care at the provider level.

(3) The interlocal leadership structure may address, but is not limited to addressing, the following topics:

(a) Alignment of contracting, administrative functions, and other processes to minimize administrative burden at the provider level to achieve outcomes;

(b) Monitoring implementation of fully integrated managed care in the regional service area, including design of an early warning system to monitor ongoing success to achieve better outcomes and to make adjustments to the system as necessary;

(c) Developing regional coordination processes for capital infrastructure requests, local capacity building, and other community investments;

(d) Identifying, using, and building on measures and data consistent with, but not limited to, RCW 70.320.030 and 41.05.690, for tracking and maintaining regional accountability for delivery system performance; and

(e) Discussing whether the managed health care systems awarded the contract by the authority for a regional service area should subcontract with a county-based administrative service organization or other local organization, which may include and determine, in partnership with that organization, which value-add services will best support a bidirectional system of care.

(4) To ensure an optimal transition, regional service areas that enter as mid-adopters must be allowed a transition period of up to one year during which the interlocal leadership structure develops and implements a local plan, including measurable milestones, to transition to fully integrated managed care. The transition plan may include provisions for the counties' organization to maintain existing contracts during some or all of the transition period if the managed care design begins during 2017 to 2018, with the mid-adopter transition year occurring in 2019.

(5) Nothing in this section may be used to compel contracts between a provider, integrated managed health care system, or administrative service organization.

(6) The interlocal leadership group expires December 1, 2021, unless the interlocal leadership group decides locally to extend it.

Findings—Intent—Effective date—2018 c 201: See notes following RCW 41.05.018.