Current Bills

[March 22, 2019]

The OOA monitors state legislation for health care bills of interest to physicians and patients. Here's this week's list.

BILLS INTRODUCED

SB 61 – Nurse Anesthetists

• Introduced 2/26/19
• Regarding the authority of certified registered nurse anesthetists to select, order, and administer certain drugs.

 

BILLS REFERRED

SB 14 – Drug Information

• Referred to Insurance & Financial Institutions 2/13/19
• Regarding pharmacy benefit managers, pharmacists, and the disclosure to patients of drug price information
• Requires a pharmacist to disclose to patients if their prescriptions would cost less if purchased without insurance coverage. Patient cannot be charged this higher price. Patients should not be charged more than: 1- the cost of the prescription without insurance coverage or 2- the reimbursement paid to the pharmacy for the prescription. Health insurance companies cannot exclude amount paid for a prescription for a person’s out-of-pocket maximum. This would also apply to Medicaid patients and their prescriptions.

SB 20 – Controlled Substances

• Referred to Health, Human Services, & Medicaid 2/12/19
• Regarding disposal of controlled substances

SB 56 – Long-term Care

• Referred to Health, Human Services, & Medicaid 2/26/19
• To create a long-term care inspection committee

 

BILLS IN COMMITTEE

HB 63 – Drug Information

• Health committee hearing 3/12/19, continued
• Regarding pharmacy benefit managers / disclosure of drug prices
• Requires a pharmacist to disclose to patients if their prescriptions would cost less if purchased without insurance coverage. Patient cannot be charged this higher price. Patients should not be charged more than: 1- the cost of the prescription without insurance coverage or 2- the reimbursement paid to the pharmacy for the prescription.

HB 102 – Chiropractic Services

• Health committee hearing 3/12/19, continued
• Regarding Medicaid coverage of chiropractic services
• Would require Medicaid to cover chiropractic services for recipients, offering no less than 20 visits to any participating licensed chiropractor acting within their scope of practice. Medicaid would not be able to impose a prior authorization or referral requirements for these services.

SB 24– Establish Alzheimer's Disease and Dementias Task Force

• Health, Human Services, & Medicaid committee hearing 3/20/19, continued
• Establishes within the Ohio Department of Health the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Task Force and requires it to consider and make findings and recommendations on topics of concern pertaining to these conditions.

SB 25 – Medicaid Requirements

• Health, Human Services, & Medicaid committee hearing 3/20/19, continued
• Alters work and education requirements for the Medicaid program

SB 29 – Medicaid Copayments

• Committee hearings in Health, Human Services, & Medicaid 2/19/19, continued
• Regarding Medicaid copay requirements

SB 59 – Naloxone dispensing

• Health, Human Services, & Medicaid committee hearing 3/20/19, continued
• Requires the State Board of Pharmacy to educate license holders about the law authorizing naloxone dispending w/o a prescription

SB 97 – Providing estimates for health care preauthorization

• Health, Human Services, & Medicaid committee hearing 3/20/19, continued
• Requires a health care provider to provide a patient with a verbal or written cost estimate for scheduled services.
• Requires a health plan issuer to provide a patient with a written cost estimate for services for which the patient’s health care provider seeks preauthorization.
• Specifies that a patient is responsible to pay for a health care service or procedure even if the patient did not receive an estimate.