March 13, 2020

Happy Friday, everyone!

The 2020 Utah Legislative Session wrapped up late last night, after 45 days of determined advocacy from community members and engaged citizens, and hard work from our Senators and House Representatives. We are so grateful to everyone who worked on behalf of good public policy!

The highlight of our week? At the last minute, 12-month continuous eligibility for children on Medicaid was funded!! This means that kids 0-5 will be able to stay covered for a full year instead of cycling off and on their health insurance. This is a huge victory for our friends at Voices for Utah Children, and all of us who have been fighting to Keep Kids Covered for so long. A big thank you to Senator Luz Escamilla for fighting to ensure that this proposal was funded, and to Representative Ray Ward for sponsoring the bill and appropriation request. See more from Voices HERE. 

 

See our final bill tracker below for a look at where things landed after the last votes were cast.

 

Call to Action:

1-Pat yourself on the back for all your hard work!!

2- Wash your hands like you've been chopping hot peppers.

3- Stay home as much as possible, especially if you are sick! 

 

BILLS WE SUPPORTED THAT PASSED

HB 210 Insurance Coverage for Children Amendments, Representative Ward

This 'Keeping Kids Covered' bill would provide 12- month continuous eligibility for kids on Medicaid.

STATUS: shifted to appropriation request, FUNDED  

HB 38 Substance Use and Health Care Amendments, Representative Daw

Directs the Utah Department of Health to apply for a waiver allow inmates with substance use disorder to apply for and receive Medicaid benefits up to 30 days before release from a correctional facility.

STATUS: PASSED and FUNDED

HB 195 Identifying Wasteful Healthcare Spending, Representative Harrison 

Directs the Utah Department of Health to contract with an organization to analyze All-Payer Claims Database (APCD) and report yearly on wasteful spending in Utah.

STATUS: PASSED and FUNDED

HB 207 Insulin Access Amendments, Representative Thurston 

This bill creates an incentive for health benefit plans to reduce the required copayments for insulin. As well as increasing the number of days for which an insulin prescription can be refilled, increasing the length of time an insulin prescription can last and increases the number of professions that can be licensed to prescribe insulin.

STATUSPASSED and FUNDED

HB 32 Crisis Services Amendment, Representative Eliason

Expanded crisis services including expanded mobile crisis outreach statewide, receiving center pilot program, and statewide warm line.

STATUS: PASSED and FUNDED

 

HB 35 Mental Health Treatment Access Amendments, Representative Eliason 

Modifies and enacts provisions related to mental health treatment access. 

STATUS: PASSED and FUNDED

HB 313 Telehealth Parity Amendments, Representative Ballard

This bill amends the definition of telemedicine services; clarifies the scope of telehealth practice; and requires certain health benefit plans to provide coverage parity.

STATUS: PASSED ($0 fiscal note)

SB 16 Rural Residency Training Program Re-authorization, Senator Christensen

Adds dental education programs to the list of training programs in the rural residency training program.

STATUS: PASSED ($0 fiscal note)

 

HB 13 Children's Hearing Aid Program Amendments, Representative Barlow

Extends the repeal date for the Children's Hearing Aid Program.

STATUS: PASSED ($0 fiscal note)

H.C.R. 7 Concurrent Resolution Encouraging Congressional Action on Prescription Drug Prices, Representative Harrison

This concurrent resolution urges the United States Congress to address escalating prescription drug prices.

STATUS: PASSED

BILLS WE SUPPORTED THAT NEVER LEFT RULES

 

SB 190 Prescription Drug Importation Amendments, Senator Hemmert

This bill requires the Department of Health to submit a request to the United States Department of Health and Human Services for a prescription drug importation program.

STATUS: DOA

HB 456 Health Care Facility Balance Billing Amendments, Representative Dunnigan 

This bill focuses on facility balance billing issues. 

STATUS: DOA

 

HB 457 Health Insurance Amendments, Representative Dunnigan

This bill focuses on provider balance billing issues. 

STATUS: DOA

BILLS WE SUPPORTED - HELD/FAILED

 

HB 34 Tanning for Minors, Representative Daw

Removes the provision that allows a minor to tan with a parent's consent. Directs the department to post warning signs that are consistent with this bill.

The substitute version that passed the House maintains the physician consent provision.

STATUS: HELD by Senate committee

SB 74 Family Planning Services, Senator Kitchen

This bill requires the Division of Health Care Financing to apply for a Medicaid waiver or a state plan amendment to extend family planning services to certain low-income individuals.

STATUS: DIED - passed Senate, House HHS, returned to rules & not funded

 

BILLS WE WERE WATCHING - PASSED

 

HB 272 Pharmacy Benefit Manager Amendments, Representative Ray

Implements more transparency measures on PBMs.

STATUS: PASSED and FUNDED

SB 155 Medical Billing Amendments, Senator Mayne

Requires health care facilities and providers who do balance billing for certain services to submit a report to the Insurance Department.

STATUS: PASSED and FUNDED

SB 44 Limited Support Services Waiver Amendments, Senator Hemmert

Amends provisions relating to the allocation of new appropriations to the Division of Services for People with Disabilities 

STATUS: PASSED and FUNDED

HB 97 Newborn Safe Haven Amendments, Representative Arent

This bill subjects to certain requirements, allows a parent or a parent's designee to safely relinquish a newborn child within 30 days after the day on which the child is born.

STATUS: PASSED and FUNDED

SB 145 Pharmacy Practice Act Amendments, Senator Vickers

This bill would provide pharmacy-counter flexibility for certain drugs like albuterol and epinephrine, allowing emergency refills and other measures to ensure patients don't run out of these prescriptions. 

STATUS: PASSED and FUNDED

HB 86 Adult Autism Treatment Program, Representative Hall 

Works to create the Adult Autism Treatment Account to allocate more money for this specific budgeting.

STATUS: PASSED and FUNDED

OTHER SESSION UPDATES:

We carefully watched the Medicaid expansion budget, and after some concern that money would be diverted away from the Medicaid expansion fund to the general fund, the session ended with the $56 million dollars in question being preserved in a Medicaid restricted account. Although there is a significant surplus in the expansion budget, it is important that we keep that money focused on low-income health care, especially as enrollment continues to grow. 

 

The legislature designated a significant amount of money for Coronavirus/COVID-19 response, and leadership has indicated an openness to a special session if needed to further address the crisis. 

 

There will be a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November, asking whether income tax revenue should be used to fund programs for "children and disabled". Read more HERE.

 

Health Care Round Table will be on hold temporarily while we readjust post-session.

We will wait at least 2 weeks to reconvene, and going forward we will have remote meeting options for those working from home and/or engaging in self-quarantine. 

 

Thank you again for all your hard work over the last 45 days!!

 

Utah Health Policy Project

2369 w Orton Circle #20 | West Valley City, Utah | 84115
Question? Email stacy@healthpolicyproject.org or call 801-433-2299

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