Healthcare Legislative Roundup

June 13, 2011-- The Oregon Legislature approved numerous bills this week related to healthcare, all of which now proceed to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.

 

Many bills are now being voted in their house of origin for a second time because they were amended in the other chamber.

 

To read the bills, go here.

 

 

House Bill 2371 requires the Oregon Health Authority to adopt rules requiring organizations that administer vaccines from the Authority to report to an immunization registry that their employees have completed a training session on how to properly handle and store vaccines. To read The Lund Report’s coverage of this issue, go here.

 

House Bill 2366 directs the Oregon Health Authority to develop a strategic plan for recruiting primary care providers, which includes collaborating with numerous stakeholder groups. To read The Lund Report’s coverage of this issue, go here.

 

House Bill 3311 requires the Oregon Health Authority to explore ways to use doulas to improve birth outcomes for women who face disproportionately greater risk of poor birth outcomes. A report will be made to legislative policy committees in February 2012. See The Lund Report’s coverage of this bill, go here.

 

Senate Bill 86 exempts medical practices from application of Insurance Code if healthcare provider maintaining practice is certified by Department of Consumer and Business Services.

 

Senate Bill 99 will establish the Oregon Health Insurance Exchange Corporation, which will provide a sort-of one-stop shop for individuals and small businesses to purchase health insurance. The hope is that there will be greater buying power, which will thus bring down insurance rates. Despite not having language in the bill, desired by liberal groups, to allow consumers to have some say in negotiating the rates, it passed the House 48-12 with bipartisan support. To see The Lund Report’s coverage of this issue, go here.

 

Senate Bill 89 changes Oregon’s insurance law to align with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. To see The Lund Report’s coverage of this issue, go here.

 

Senate Bill 493 establishes a task force to examine Oregon’s cirriculum and training standards on  how providers perform clinical breast examinations.

 

Senate Bill 579 allows hospitals to appoint a healthcare provider, and also allows an ethics committee to make health-related decisions for a patient who is incapable of making their own healthcare choices.

 

House Bill 5027 approves new and increased fees adopted by the Oregon Health Licensing Agency.

 

Senate Bill 204 was re-passed. The bill began as a simple one, allowing a person’s identity to be disclosed between healthcare providers and prepaid managed care health services organizations that receive money from the Oregon Health Plan.

 

It was amended to include two bills that previously died: one providing continued funding for a pilot program in Central Oregon investigating ways to coordinate physical and mental health care, and another that will reduce outpatient rates by using Medicare payment methodologies starting in January. These new rates apply to the Oregon Health Plan, and the health plans administered by the Public Employees’ Benefit Board and the Oregon Educators’ Benefits Board—together representing nearly 900,000 Oregonians.  To see The Lund Report’s coverage of this bill, go here.

 

Senate Bill 201 allows an enrollee to transfer from one prepaid managed care health services organization to another no more than once during an enrollment period.

Senate Bill 5531 is the 2011-2013 budget for Oregon Health & Science University.