Every Thursday, Stateside Associates selects health care-related state and local events to highlight in This Week in Health Care.
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STATE AND LOCAL HIGHLIGHTS
MASSACHUSETTS
The Joint Committee on Public Health will hold a hearing on September 21 regarding the following:
HB 2227: This measure requires that when a health insurance plan provides for payment of 'surgical first' assisting benefits, these are to be construed as providing for the payment of a registered nurse. In addition, the measure requires the Department of Public Health to prepare a report on care by registered first nurse assistants and their effect on the quality of care for patients.
Contact: Warda Butt
HB 2200: This measure prohibits public health care facilities from hiring persons to decontaminate, inspect, assemble, package or sterilize reusable instruments or devices who have not obtained a credential from a nationally accredited credentialing organization.
Contact: Warda Butt
The Joint Committee on Financial Services will hold a hearing on September 26 regarding the following:
SB 716: This measure provides coverage for expenses for prostheses, facial medical pigmentation or scalp hair prostheses worn for hair loss suffered as a result of the treatment of any form of cancer or leukemia, or as a result of alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, non-classical 21-hydroxylase or permanent loss of facial or scalp hair due to injury, as long as the alopecia was not part of the natural or premature aging process.
Contact: Zoe Salzberg
SB 644: This measure states that a carrier must pay an assessment to support expenses associated with the delivery of health care services. This measure states that the assessment will be based on the net worth surplus available to health insurance carriers exceeding 525% of risk-based capital.
Contact: Matthew Lidz
SB 614: This measure requires insurers to file small-group product base rate changes that take effect on January 1 before July 1. The commissioner has the right to disapprove any rate changes deemed excessive, inadequate or unreasonable.
Contact: Matthew Lidz
HB 944: This measure provides that carriers offering small group health insurance plans, including carriers licensed, must file small group product base rates and any changes to small group rating factors that are to be effective on January 1 of each year, on or before July 1 of the preceding year.
Contact: Matthew Lidz
HB 1031: This measure requires health insurance carriers to pay an assessment to support the delivery of health care services. The assessment is based on the net worth surplus available to health insurance carriers exceeding 525% of risk-based capital. This measure also transfers $150M to the Behavioral Health Trust Fund and the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Hospital Relief Trust Fund, respectively.
Contact: Matthew Lidz
WYOMING
The Interim Labor, Health & Social Services Committee will hold an interim session on September 21 regarding HB 116. This measure requires the state Medicaid program to continue paying behavioral health claims as they did before the redesign, with the assumption that providers still treat Medicaid as the payer of last resort.
Contact: Dylan Hughes
The Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee will meet from September 21 to September 22. The committee is scheduled to discuss prior authorization, long-term care issues and concerns, certificate of need, white bagging, and organ donation protections.
Contact: Matthew Lidz
GROUPS EVENTS
There are no health care-related groups events this week.
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