Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGLO 1979 NO. 14 >


(1) In view of § 1, chapter 60, Laws of 1971, 1st Ex. Sess., amending RCW 74.09.510, inmates of a city or county jail or other penal or detention facility are no longer ineligible to receive medical assistance from the state during the period of their incarceration.

(2) The provision of medical assistance by the Department of Social and Health Services to city or county jail inmates remains, however, subject to the discretion of the Department of Social and Health Services.

(3) To the extent that a county or city jail inmate is eligible for medical assistance under RCW 74.09.510 and WAC 388-86-060, there is nothing in either the statute or the regulation which purports to limit the period of time during incarceration with respect to which medical assistance is to be provided.