Clarifying Information:
The AHC acts as the liaison, in cases involving Administrative Hearings, between the CSO and:
The appellant
The appellant's representative
The Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH)
The DSHS Board of Appeals (BOA)
The Health Care Authority (HCA)
The Community Services Division (CSD)
The Office of the Assistant Attorney General (AAG)
Children's Administration (CA)
The Office of Fraud and Accountability (OFA)
Other agencies or individuals involved in specific hearings.
The AHC must maintain the appearance of fairness in the Administrative Hearing process. The following guidelines apply:
Communication with Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), department witnesses, appellants their witnesses and representatives must be on a professional level.
Any communication between the AHC and an ALJ regarding a specific hearing must include the appellant and/or their representative. Private conversations with an ALJ about an administrative hearing (ex-parte communications) are strictly prohibited, unless it involves a safety issue. See RCW 34.05.455 .