With 2022 underway, we wanted to update you on pertinent rules and laws that may impact physician practices. This is something we provide annually to our members.
Keep in mind we are just tracking these bills. Lots of times legislation gets introduced and never goes anywhere. Just because there may be bills that are concerning, it does NOT mean that these will actually pass. If concerning bills get closer to passing, we will make our best efforts to monitor them more closely.
HB 60 – Authorize medical marijuana for autism spectrum disorder. This passed the house on 3/2/22 and had a senate hearing on 3/30/22. The medical board committee set up an expert panel and ended up rejecting this due to concerns about negatively impacting the developing brain. Now it looks like they are trying to go through the legislature.
SB261 Changes to medical marijuana law – transfers from Pharmacy Board to Commerce. Adds telehealth, expands qualifying conditions.
HB 196 – Surgical Assistants (rep Kelly and Carruthers) to create a new license type for surgical assistants to be overseen by the medical board.
HB 318 – Anesthesiologist Assistants (rep Swearingen and Plummer) adds AAs to list individuals authorized to prescribe drugs or dangerous drugs during professional practice- and adds AAs to the list of practioners from which a respiratory care therapist may receive orders.
OSA (I spoke to staff and OSA president) was NOT OPPOSED to these changes.
Third House Hearing on 3/1/22.
HB 356 – Opioid Bill (Rep Loychik and Rep Bird)
- Establish drug treatment facilities
- 10 years of releases control if caught with drug prevention and trafficking
- Limits opioids to 3 days for acute pain- then reexamine and then allow for 3 more days
- Allows rules to exceed the 3 days
Very difficult rule to implement practically.
SB 296 Narcotics – Dispense Naloxone without a script.
- Adds Pas and APRNs to dispense naloxone without a script
HB 193 – E Scripts for Scheduled IIs (Rep Cutrona and Rep Pavilga).
- Requires E Script for all scheduled 2s
SB 150 – Physician Contracts – prohibits non-compete contracts in physician employment (Sen Johnson and Williams).
SB 40 – Health care professionals to complete instruction in cultural competency.
HB 160 – Health estimates and health care price transparency. This bill authorizes regulatory agencies to impose administrative remedies for people who don’t comply with rules.