March 7, 2020

Hello, health care advocates,

We have completed SIX weeks of the legislative session, only one week to go-- Thursday, March 12th is the final day. Please see below for an updated list of bills UHPP is following, and their current status.

The main updates for this week:

HB38, Representative Daw's Substance Use and Health Care bill passed its final Senate hurdle (after some major revisions) and will be signed into law! HB 207 - Representative Thurston's insulin access bill passed out of the Senate HHS committee, and is waiting for Senate floor approval. SB74 - Senator Kitchen's family planning services bill passed the House HHS committee but was returned to Rules due to fiscal impact. HB313 - Representative Ballard's telehealth bill passed the Senate HHS committee and is awaiting Senate floor approval. 

Representative Dunnigan introduced two bills to address surprise medical bills, HB456 and HB457, but they have not yet received a committee hearing, and might not gain any steam this session...

 

The budget is yet to be finalized, but the Executive Appropriations Committee released its list of funding priorities Friday afternoon. You can see that HERE.

 

Check out our website for a bill tracker that updates DAILY, as well as rotating calls to action and other information: http://www.healthpolicyproject.org/2020-legislative-session/

 

Calls to Action! Use the links below to speak out:

1. Contact members of the Executive Appropriations committee ASAP and ask them to please prioritize funding 12-month continuous eligibility for children. This was NOT listed on the committee's budget, and so they need to hear from us! (very politely, of course.)

2. Contact your Senators in support of HB207

3. Contact your Senator in support of SB74

 

BILLS WE'RE SUPPORTING- IN PROGRESS

 

HB 210 Insurance Coverage for Children Amendments, Representative Ward

This 'Keeping Kids Covered' bill would provide 12- month continuous eligibility for kids on Medicaid, and would address other potential barriers to coverage for children by allowing automatic CHIP premiums and chartering a study on Utah’s kids churn issue.

STATUS:

Ranked #14 on Social Service Appropriations Ongoing Priority List and #18 on the one-time list. Will move forward as an appropriation rather than as a bill. NOT listed on EAC budget list. 

HB 195 Identifying Wasteful Healthcare Spending, Representative Harrison 

Directs the Utah Department of Health, or third party firm, to analyze All Payer Claims Database (APCD) and report yearly on wasteful spending in Utah.

STATUS:

Ranked #48 on Social Service Appropriations Ongoing Priority List- NOT listed on EAC budget list

House/ Passed 3rd Reading

Senate HHS Passed | Senate 2nd Reading | Tabled on 3rd Reading

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.

STATUS:

House/ HHS Passed | House/ Passed 3rd Reading

Senate/ HHS Passed | On Senate 2nd Reading Calendar

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; and extends the sunset date for the current reporting requirement.

STATUS:

Senate HHS- Favorable Recommendation

Senate/ 2nd Reading Passed

House HHS/ Favorable Recommendation | Returned to 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. If the request is approved, this bill requires PEHP to operate a two-year pilot prescription drug importation program for the state's health insurance risk pool.

STATUS:

Assigned to Senate HHS Committee

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:

Ranked #25, 26 and 42 on Social Service Appropriations Ongoing Priority List and #5 on the one-time list

Listed on EAC budget options- $10,810,000 ongoing and almost $6 million one-time

House HHS / Unanimous Favorable Recommendation

House/ 3rd Reading Passed

Senate HHS/ Favorable Recommendation | Senate 2nd Reading Calendar

 

HB 35 Mental Health Treatment Access Amendments, Representative Eliason 

Modifies and enacts provisions related to mental health treatment access. Gives recommendations on the need for more adult beds at the Utah State Hospital. Outlines the responsibilities of assertive community outreach treatment teams (ACT teams) and requests a grant to develop ACT teams. The third substitute version also creates a Utah Substance Use and Advisory Council within the Governor's office.

STATUS:

Ranked #40 on Social Service Appropriations Ongoing Priority List

Listed on EAC budget options- $6,2740,000 ongoing and just over $1 million one-time

House/ Passed 3rd Reading

Senate/ HHS Passed | Senate 3rd Reading Calendar Table

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 and commercially reasonable reimbursement for telehealth services and telemedicine services.

STATUS:

House/ Business and Labor Committee Passed

House/ Passed 3rd Reading

Senate/Passed HHS Committee | 2nd Reading Calendar 

HB 456 Health Care Facility Balance Billing Amendments, Representative Dunnigan 

This bill focuses on facility balance billing issues. Enforces that facilities will bill for the median of contracted in-network rates with all managed care organization contracts. Enforces that will never pay more than in-network costs. 

STATUS:

House Rules Committee

 

HB 457 Health Insurance Amendments, Representative Dunnigan

This bill focuses on provider balance billing issues. Enforces that non-ER providers will bill at the 80th percentile of all total amounts paid for services in a similar specialty. The Insurance Department will pull this percentile from the APCD annually. ER providers will bill at the median contracted in-network rates with all managed care organizations. Enforces that consumers will never pay more than in-network costs 

STATUS:

House Rules Committee

BILLS WE SUPPORTED - FINISHED

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. Creates a substance use and mental health tele-health pilot program to be conducted in one or more county jails, and tax refund for qualifying clinicians providing care for incarcerated individuals.

STATUS: PASSED

House/ Passed 3rd Reading

Senate/ B&L Committee Passed | Senate/ Passed 2nd Reading | Passed 3rd Reading 

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

Senate/ Passed 2nd and 3rd Reading

House/ Passed 3rd Reading

 

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

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

STATUS: PASSED

House/ Passed 3rd Reading

Senate HHS - passed | Senate/ 3rd Reading Passed

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

House HHS - Passed | House/ Passed 3rd Reading

Senate HHS Committee Passed | Senate/ Passed 3rd Reading

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

House/ Passed 3rd Reading

Senate Business and Labor Committee- Held

 

BILLS WE’RE WATCHING 

 

HB 272 Pharmacy Benefit Manager Amendments, Representative Ray

Implements more transparency measures on PBMs. Requires the Insurance Department to annually publish the total value of rebates and administrative fees received by a PBM from a pharmaceutical manufacturer.

STATUS:

House HHS - Favorable Recommendation

House/ Passed 3rd Reading

Senate Rules Committee

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. Implements rules, and penalties, for those that do not comply with submitting information

STATUS:

Senate Business and Labor Committee - Favorable Recommendation

Senate/ Passed 2nd and 3rd Reading

House Rules Committee

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:

Senate HHS Passed | Senate/ Passed 3rd Reading

House/ HHS Committee Passed

House return to Rules due to fiscal impact

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:

Listed on EAC budget options- $68,000 ongoing

House HHS Passed | House/ Passed 3rd Reading

Senate HHS Passed | Senate/ Passed 2nd Reading | Tabled on 3rd Reading Calendar

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: 

Senate HHS Passed | Senate/ Passed 2nd and 3rd Reading

House HHS Committee

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

Listed on EAC budget options- $200,000 ongoing

House HHS/ Passed | House/ Passed 3rd Reading

Senate Business and Labor/ Passed | Senate Passed 2nd and 3rd Reading

 

Don't forget that Health Care Round Table will meet next Wednesday, March 11th, at 1:00 PM in the Kletting room. Please come to share updates and recruit help from our coalition.

Utah Health Policy Project

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

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