WAC 182-500-0030 Medical assistance definitions -- E.

"Early and periodic screening, diagnosis and treatment (EPSDT)" is a comprehensive child health program that entitles infants, children, and youth to preventive care and treatment services. EPSDT is available to persons twenty years of age and younger who are eligible for any agency healthcare program. Access and services for EPSDT are governed by federal rules at 42 CFR, Part 441, Subpart B. See also chapter 388-534 WAC.

     "Emergency medical condition" means the sudden onset of a medical condition (including labor and delivery) manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in:

     (1) Placing the patient's health in serious jeopardy;

     (2) Serious impairment to bodily functions; or

     (3) Serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part.

     "Emergency medical expense requirement (EMER)" see WAC 388-865-0217(3).

     "Evidence-based medicine (EBM)" means the application of a set of principles and a method for the review of well-designed studies and objective clinical data to determine the level of evidence that proves to the greatest extent possible, that a healthcare service is safe, effective, and beneficial when making:

     (1) Population-based healthcare coverage policies (WAC 388-501-0055 describes how the agency or the agency's designee determines coverage of services for its healthcare programs by using evidence and criteria based on health technology assessments); and

     (2) Individual medical necessity decisions (WAC 388-501-0165 describes how the agency or the agency's designee uses the best evidence available to determine if a service is medically necessary as defined in WAC 388-500-0030).

     "Exception to rule" See WAC 388-501-0160.

     "Expedited prior authorization (EPA)" means the process for obtaining authorization for selected healthcare services in which providers use a set of numeric codes to indicate to the agency or the agency's designee which acceptable indications, conditions, or agency or agency's designee-defined criteria are applicable to a particular request for authorization. EPA is a form of "prior authorization."

     "Extended care services" means nursing and rehabilitative care in a skilled nursing facility provided to a recently hospitalized medicare patient.