2014 Georgia Assembly Legislative Session March 7, 2014

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1 1 Bill Name/ # Sponsor Issue Status Patient Injury Act SB 141/ HB 662 Sen Brandon Beach Rep Mike Chockas Model to Replace current Med/Mal System In Senate HHS Committee; tabled No Hearing in House Scheduled No Crossover of Bill. Dead this year. PA authority to prescribe Schedule II HB 676/ SB 268 Rep Rusty Kidd to authorize a physician to delegate to a physician assistant the authority to prescribe Schedule II controlled substances; to require health insurance providers to record the name of a physician assistant providing care and treatment to a patient In House HHS Committee; No hearing to date MAG requested PA to meet at April board meeting; GAACP Supports this request and PA Lobbyist Advised GA ACP against this bill 2/4/2014 sent to Senator Millar who heads the professional subcommittee to defer bill until after MAG meeting. Physician Profiling SB 173 Pharmacist Vaccine Administration SB85 Sen Josh McCoon Sen Bethel to provide for a physician profiling program; to provide a short title; to provide definitions; to provide profiling program standards; to establish criteria for programs that evaluate a physician's cost of care; to provide for certain disclosures to patients; to provide that the Commissioner shall contract with an independent oversight entity authorize the administration of vaccines by pharmacists or nurses pursuant to vaccine protocol agreements with physicians Full Senate HHS Committee approved 2/24/14. Approved on Senate Floor 3/3/2014. Crossed over to House. In Senate Insurance and Labor Committee; No Hearing Scheduled Based on AMA Transparency Standards MAG supports Bill Pushed by Dermatologists Crossover to House. Watson not opposing SB85. In both Senate and House HHS Committees; No Hearing scheduled No Hearing scheduled; Monitor for Add on to related bills

2 2 No Crossover : Pharmacists are still trying to tag this bill as an amendment to another bill. Mary Daniels and her close contacts in the legislature are closely watching that. Medical Marijuana/Cannibis Oil SR 756 HB 885 State Plan for Alzheimer s Disease SR 746 Georgia Adult and Aging Services Agency; Create SB 291 Alzheimer s Disease Registry; Establish with DPH SB 292 Consumer Information and Awareness HB 971 Rep Alan Peake Rep Ben Watson Sen Renee Unterman Sen Renee Unterman Sen Renee Unterman Rep Rogers to define and provide for exemptions for physician owned ambulatory surgical ct relating to the use of cannabis for treatment of cancer and glaucoma, so as to provide for continuing research into the benefits of medical cannabis to treat certain conditions; to provide for the continuation of the Controlled Substances Therapeutic Research Program; to provide for selection of academic medical centers to conduct the research to create the Georgia Adult and Aging Services Agency Mandates name and credentials on health provider name tags. House HHS Committee; GA ACP neutral on this. 2/4/2014 MAG supports CHOA supports GA ACP supports 1/28/2014 In HHS Committee Hearing in HHS Committee 2/10/2014 Bill Sponsor to revise bill based on hearing Substitute Bill Approved by House HHS & on House Floor 3/3/2014. Crossed over to Senate. Senate HHS Committee On Senate Calendar Senate passed 45-5 on Feb. 3 On Senate Calendar Senate HHS Committee Approved Feb 3 On Senate Calendar Compromise bill to allow for only Name and Credentials of medical providers due to opposition; Status: House and Human Services Committee passed. Now in Senate. Composite Board Reporting Rep Tom Rice Pending; Hearing held & language No Hearing to date

3 3 Colleague HB 721 HB 707 SB 334 Prevent State Implementation Of ACA Safe Carry Protection Act HB 875 Rep Jason Spencer Sen Carter Sen. Jasperse from Composite Board being considered would prevent state institutions and employees from implementing ACA provisions. That would include the University of Georgia, where a unit of the school is providing navigators to help counsel consumers Licenses are contingent on background checks-restricts against people hosp for MH, DAB within 5 years. Prohibits weapons in schools and govt buildings. Only state assembly can regulate sales at gun shows, etc. No Crossover SB 334 approved by Senate insurance and Labor Comm. Approved on House Floor 3/3 Public Safety Committee approved on voice vote. Fred will draft a statement for comment by HPPC. Bill amended to exclude bars would lift restrictions on guns in churches and bars, allow school boards to arm employees and make an end run around a ban on licensed owners carrying guns on college campuses by making it no longer a crime. HB 643 E Discovery in Discovery Disputes MAG and MagMutual requesting paper copies also and cost of electronic transmission to be paid by requesting party; GA Bar amended bill Crossover to Senate Fireworks Bill HB 952 Bill to loosen restrictions in sale of Fireworks in Georgia Fireworks Bill allows for increased type of fireworks sales Georgia PEDS & FP oppose this bill Coalition members have requested our support in opposing this bill GA ACP opposes has agreed to sign

4 4 HB 922 Preceptor Tax Credit FY 15 budget Loan Forgiveness. Ben Harbin Allan Peake Barbara Sims Ron Stephens Henry Howard This was a major recommendation from the 2013 Primary Care Summit and is intended to provide tax credits for community based faculty who precept GEORGIA medical, PA, and NP students. This is in lieu of direct payment for these valuable services and a direct response to the movement of off shore and out of state medical schools who pay for sites in Georgia. Currently the Board has funding for 16 awards at the $20,000 level, for a total budget of $330,000. The House added $260,000 to the program to add 13 awards at the $20,000 level to the existing number of awards for a total of 29 awards at the $20,000 level and a total budget of $590,000. The Senate added $300,000 to the program to add 15 awards at the $20,000 level to the existing number of awards for a total of 31 at the $20,000 and a total budget of $630,000. onto coalition letter. Did not come out o f committee Bill did not crossover so dead this year. Letters sent requesting support to members of Ways & Means Priority bill for chapter from Primary Care Summit Approved in House Rules and House Floor 3/3. Now in Senate Finance Committee. Letters sent to Committee. Action needed with Senate Community Health budget subcommittee for Appropriations Committee Letters of chapter support for this funding delivered to Health budget subcommittee for Appropriations Committee members. Discussion with committee chair, Tim Golden assured his full support of this increase if budget process allows; Now in Senate Finance Committee. Letters sent to members of Committee. We support the Senate version. FY 15 Budget Increase in Funding of AHEC Slots. Background: The AHEC Program is the primary entity providing housing for health professions students in Now in Senate Finance Committee. Letters sent to members of Committee. We support the current

5 5 community-based sites remote from their host campus. Research has demonstrated that the location of training is highly correlated to eventual practice location choice. For an enrolled medical student, the chance to receive training off campus is perceived negatively without adequate supports in place for them. From FY 2008 FY 2013, AHEC supported 22,336 rotations; approximately 38% of which were medical student rotations (for FY 12-FY13 that percentage increased to 58%). Between FY 08-FY13, AHEC supported 5,404 rotations with housing; of these rotations, 62% (3,351) were medical students. This percentage of housing resources allocated to medical students rose to 70% in FY 13. Senate Budget that provides $370,000 for increased travel and support. If feasible consider raising that to $600,000 in the Health Access and Improvement Programs in the FY 15 DCH House budget. With the additional funding, a minimum of 100 new beds will be opened, which would support approximately 800 new 4-6 week rotations. These would be located at approximately 25 new sites across the state. Currently the House Budget provides $300,000 Currently the Senate Budget provides $370,000 Cancer Treatment Fairness Bill HB943 Medicaid Expansion HB990 Oral Parity Medicaid Expansion Requiring approval by the Georgia Assembly Caps copay on insurance copays for oral anti- cancer medication at $200. Speaker of House brought out bill Governor s Office requests a fiscal note for impact on State Health Benefit Governor s Office requests a fiscal note for impact on State Health Benefit. Chamber of Commerce is Opposing. Bill passed House and in Senate Insurance Subcommittee hearing on March 11. Claims of Election Year politics House Judiciary Committee Approved bill Approved House Floor 3/3. Now in Senate.

6 SB370 Pharmacy Substitutions of interchangeable biological products SB 360 Economic Credentialing 6 No Hearing to date This is a bill that impacts physicians in hospital based private physician groups. It is economic credentialing of these private physicians by hospitals No action to date No Crossover HHS committee agenda 2/19 but was pulled pending a substitute bill. Mary has reached out requesting to Dan Dresser for key contacts in Private hospitalist groups and Dr Edward Young a Macon member who runs private hospitalist group. This is who this bill would impact and given it is getting some traction requesting their contacts to committee and their respective senators. Passed out of Senate HHS 2/24 GA ACP supports this bill. Did not crossover HB 971 Consumer Information and Awareness SB 391 Tricare Network Rep Rogers Senators Balfour, Harbison, and Davis All health providers are required to wear an identifier with name and type of license held. MAG sponsored bill. Each medical facility shall make a good faith application to the southern regional TRICARE network. Senate HHS Hearing 2/24 Opposition from Optometrist Did not Crossover Passed in Senate HHS 2/24 Crossed Over HB 606 Personal Care Homes Passed in Senate HHS 2/24 Crossover SB 273 Maternal Mortality Review Committee Senators Burke, Unterman, and Hufstetler Requires the Dept of Public Health to establish the Maternal Mortality Passed in Senate HHS 2/24 To House Review Committee House Resolution 1528 Rural Health Study Committee Reps Kidd and Channell Passed in Senate HHS 2/24 To House SB 338 Sen Lucas of Macon Encourages the establishment of what he calls "medical stabilization centers" in underserved communities. bill

7 7 HB 966 Opiod Antagonist Reps Cooper, Oliver, Rutledge Watson, Weldon, and others. would essentially relax the state s Certificate of Need, or C.O.N, rules on establishing a rural medical facility. It adds a new section that says stabilization centers can be set up in rural communities to observe and if need be transfer patients to an acute care hospital. To amend Article 6 of Chapter 4 of Title 26 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to pharmacies, so as to authorize licensed health practitioners to prescribe opioid antagonists to certain individuals and entities pursuant to a protocol; to provide for legislative findings; to amend Chapter 11 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to emergency medical services, so as to provide for grants to ensure availability of opioid antagonists; to authorize emergency medical services personnel to administer parenteral injections of opioid antagonists SB 98 Sen Hill SB 98 would ban coverage of abortion services in health insurance plans offered by the state and by the federal health insurance exchange, according to the bill s sponsor, Sen. Judson Hill (R- Marietta). He said the goal is to Passed on House Floor 2/25. Now in Senate. Senate Insurance and Labor Committee approved the bill. Crossed Over

8 8 SB 397 Mandates private Insurance coverage for Autism Sen Tim Golden prevent the use of state and federal taxes to pay for abortions. Deal supported funding for the autism therapy by allocating $2.4 million in his FY 2015 budget for coverage in the State Health Benefit Plan. SB 397 would not mandate payment for applied behavioral therapy under Medicaid and PeachCare, the programs covering children of the state s poorest families. The Georgia Association of Health Plans, an industry trade group, opposes the effort to require autism coverage, saying it would unfairly increase costs for employers. Sen Insurance and Labor Comm approved. The bill now goes to the Senate Rules Committee before heading to the Senate floor. On Senate floor 2/25 Crossover to House SB 342 Sen Dean Burke bill is related to assure HIV patients receive proper TX and medication. Feb/19/ Senate Vote #476 Yea(55) Nay(0) Georgia Health Care Freedom Act HB707 Representative Jason Spencer and others. Bill has major constitutional questions w/ the state trying to supersede federal law. More importantly the potential impact on pts being informed of their insurance options/choices by state employees in the health departments, Georgia Regents University, the UGA Navigator program etc. is unconscionable, unethical, and blatantly unfair to those pts who need information on all options available to them. The other component of this bill is the HPPC is opposed to this bill. House passed the bill. The Senate Insurance Subcommittee will hear this bill on March 11. The Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) opposes HB 707 and has expressed concerns regarding this legislation.

9 9 Insurance Commissioner's office being disallowed from helping any pt who has an insurance issue with a product on the exchange again is again unconscionable. All citizens of Georgia should have access to help with their insurance policies.