Healthcare Legislative Roundup

The healthcare legislation approved by the House and Senate, and signed by the Governor during the week of June 13 through June 17
By: 
Amanda Waldroupe

June 20, 2011-- The Oregon Legislature approved numerous bills this week related to healthcare. And Governor John Kitzhaber has begun to sign many into law.
 
To read the bills, go here.
 
House
 
House Bill 3085 requires a health care facility to notify law enforcement if they become aware that a patient involved in an accident with a motor vehicle has a controlled substance in their blood.
 
House Bill 2650 requires health home and in-home care agencies to run criminal background checks on employees who provide such services.
 
Senate Bill 5539 is the 2011-2013 budget for the Psychiatric Security Review Board.
 
Senate Bill 5531 is the 2011-2013 budget for Oregon Health & Science University. To see The Lund Report’s coverage of this bill, go here.
 
House Bill 2397 creates a loan forgiveness program for primary care practitioners in the Office of Rural Health. To see The Lund Report’s coverage of this bill, go here.
 
House Bill 2100 establishes the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee to perform the functions of the Drug Use Review Board, which has been abolished. It also makes numerous technical changes to House Bill 2009, passed during the 2009 Legislative session, which created the Oregon Health Authority. 
House Bill 5026 limits expenditures from revenues, excluding lottery funds and federal funds, collected or received by the Oregon Health Licensing Agency.
 
Senate
 
Senate Bill 738 permits the Oregon Health Authority to approve pilot projects to improve access to dental health, and allows dental hygienists to enter into practice agreements with supervising dentists, and expand their scope of practice.
 
It came under fire on the Senate floor, just as it did in the Joint Ways & Means Committee. Sen. Fred Girod (R-Stayton), a dentist, reiterated his complaint that it expanded a dental hygienists’ scope of practice and would degrade the profession of dentistry.
 
It passed along party lines with a 16-14 vote, after Republican Senators met in a brief caucus meeting. It has yet to reach the House floor, where it may also become a caucus issue. If such, the bill could fail, given the House’s 30-30 split.
 
Senate Bill 376 makes it a crime for someone to knowingly assist a person who wants to commit suicide. Specifically, it targets sellers of so-called “suicide kits.” To read The Lund Report’s coverage of this bill, go here.
 
Senate Bill 608 creates a fund to help rural health providers pay for their medical liability insurance. To read The Lund Report’s prior coverage of this bill, go here.
 
Senate Bill 433 expands the eligibility of state medical assistance to all low-income and uninsured women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer. Previously, women could only qualify for such assistance if they were diagnosed at a state-run screening program.
 
Senate Bill 372 removes ambulance services from the list used to calculate charges for personal injury protection benefits.
 
Senate Bill 5530 approves the increase or creation of fees adopted by the Oregon Health Authority.
 
Senate Bill 5529 is the 2011-2013 budget for the Oregon Health Authority. To see The Lund Report’s prior coverage of the budget, go here.
 
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 decisions.
 
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 86 exempts medical practices from the insurance code if a healthcare provider is certified by Department of Consumer and Business Services.
 
Governor signed
 
Senate Bill 423 authorizes the Department of Corrections and the Oregon Youth Authority to certify employees before they provide mental health services to inmates and persons in the custody of the Oregon Youth Authority.
 
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 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 3230 imposes penalties for practicing dentistry without a license.

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