- HB 2661: Establishes the requirement for pharmacies to be reimbursed for at least the actual costs of medicine. Bans pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from steering customers to pharmacies they own instead of small, locally operated pharmacies.
- HB 2655: Clarifies that present law authorizing a health care provider to provide telehealth services when acting within the scope of a valid health care professional license does not prohibit a health care provider otherwise acting within the scope of practice of a valid health care professional license from delivering services through the use of telehealth.
- HB 0702: Prohibits a health entity from deeming a person ineligible for an organ transplant, refusing to put a person on the organ or tissue transplant list, placing an individual lower on a transplant list, or denying medical services based on their COVID-19 vaccination status. This law’s effective date is May 15, 2022.
- HB 1301: Provides “newborn safety devices” in health care facilities as an alternative way for a mother to anonymously place a newborn infant aged 14 days or younger in the device with the intent to leave the newborn infant for an emergency medical services provider to remove the newborn infant from the device and take custody of the newborn infant.
- An alarm is fitted to the device for notification to the appropriate authority of a newborn in the safety device and monitored 24/7.
- These monitors are visible to a police station, fire station, or hospital staff.
- Mothers have the right to remain anonymous to promote the life of the child.
- HB 1686: This bill creates a pilot program, to be known as the Alzheimer’s and dementia respite care program, to provide home- and community-based services. The pilot program will provide services to the elderly and disabled within a defined geographic area.
- HB 1981: Creates new categories of emergency first responders to assist EMTs in responding to emergencies, driving ambulances, and engaging in limited medical interventions; requires such persons to become licensed EMTs within a certain period.
- HB 2544: Requires a health benefit plan that provides coverage to a patient depending on age to include coverage for an annual screening by all forms of low-dose mammography for the presence of breast cancer; requires a health benefit plan that provides coverage for a screening mammogram to provide coverage for diagnostic imaging and supplemental breast screening.
- Appropriations:
- $150K – Outpatient mental health services
- $10.6M – Eliminates OPTIONS waitlist for community living programs
- $49M – Alzheimer’s medication for dually qualified Medicaid and Medicare members
- $19.9M – CHOICES program providing personal care, home-delivered meals, & home services for elderly/ at risk for nursing homes
