Other Issues - Health Care

LWVAL Action Priority Level III - Issues identified by LWVAL Advocacy Committee and/or State Board or Local Leagues.

Click a bill to see sponsor(s), summary (including link to full text), League action and justification for that action, and progress of the bill through the legislative process.

Legend:
thumbs_up_icon.jpg = LWVAL's support for the legislation.
thumbs_down_icon.jpg = LWVAL's opposition to the legislation.
green-right-arrow.jpg = new bill activity; change from previous week's report such as new progress in the legislature and/or League action. Bill may be one newly added to the report. These updates are in green font.

LWVAL has taken a position on this bill:

thumbs_up_icon.jpgSB340/HB410 - Assistant to a physician, Chiropractor, Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner, authorized to refer person to licensed physical therapist for treatment, Secs. 34-21-85, 34-24-122, 34-24-292 am'd.

SB340 Sponsor(s): Senator Blackwell
HB410 Sponsor(s): Representative Johnson

Summary/Synopsis: Under existing law, neither a licensed assistant to a physician, a certified registered nurse practitioner, nor a licensed chiropractor may refer a patient to a physical therapist. This bill would authorize a licensed assistant to a physician, a certified registered nurse practitioner, and a licensed chiropractor to refer a patient to a licensed physical therapist. The nurse practitioner must be in a collaborative agreement with a licensed physician and the physician assistance must be under the supervision of a licensed physician

League Action and Justification: LWVAL supports SB340 and HB410. The LWVAL believes: “Access to basic health care is a universal human right that should be met by an expanded network of providers and coordination among providers. Other policy goals should include efficient and economical delivery of care, integration of technology with advances into care at a reasonable level of state funding.”

Bill Progress in Legislature:
SB340: 02/21/2012: First reading and referred to the 3/14/2012: A public hearing on another bill was to be held at 11:00 a.m. in Room 304. There was to be a public hearing on SB372 which seeks to remove the requirement under existing law that requirement that a licensed physical therapist practice his or her trade only upon the referral of a licensed physician or dentist.
4/05/2012: 2nd reading and placed on the calendar; pending 3rd reading and favorable from Health.
5/09/2012: Indefinitely postponed.
HB410: 02/23/2012: First reading and referred to the
LWVAL is monitoring these bills.

HB245 - Health Insurance Exchange established, operated by a board, members, duties, repealed if federal health reform laws requiring exchange repealed or defunded or declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, Health Insurance Exchange Act

Sponsor(s): Representative Wren

Summary/Synopsis: Under existing federal law, the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, requires each state to establish a health insurance exchange to provide a centralized location where persons may obtain comparative information on available health insurance plans and facilitate the purchase and sale of such health insurance plans. This bill would:
1. Create the Alabama Health Insurance Exchange. This bill would provide that the exchange would operate as a nonprofit public corporation and would be recognized as such for tax purposes. This bill would provide that the exchange would be governed by a board and would provide for the membership, terms, and duties of the board.
2. Require the exchange to make qualified health plans available to qualified individuals and qualified employers. This bill would authorize the exchange to charge fees to health insurance carriers, agents, and brokers in order to fund the exchange.
3. Authorize the exchange to promulgate rules subject to the Administrative Procedure Act necessary to implement and operate the exchange.
4. Provide that if provisions of the federal health care reform act authorizing the exchange are repealed, defunded, or declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, this act would be repealed.

League Action and Justification: LWVAL is monitoring HB245. This bill would bring the state into compliance with existing federal law.

Bill Progress in Legislature: 02/09/2012: First reading and referred to the 4/18/2012: On Health calendar, Star Wars Room 807, 9 a.m.
4/19/2012: Health 1st Substitute (141004-2) Offered; Health 1st Amendment (141269-1 ) Offered; Health 2nd Amendment (141271-1) Offered
Read for the 2nd time and placed on the calendar with 1 Substitute and 1 Amendments; Pending 3rd reading and favorable from Health with 1 Substitute and 1 Amendments.
4/26/2012: 3rd Reading passed; Health 1st Substitute (141004-2) Offered; Motion to Adopt adopted (88-0-1);
2nd Health Amendment (141271-1) Offered; Health Amendment (141269-1) Offered; Wren motion to Table adopted; Wren Amendment (141856-2) Offered; Motion to Adopt adopted (92-0-0); Motion to Read a 3rd Time and Pass adopted (92-0-0); Engrossed;
4/26/2012: Read for the first time in the Senate and referred to the 5/3/2012: Read for the 2nd time and placed on the calendar with 7 B&I Amendments (142144-2; 142130-2; 142147-2; 142283-1; 142132-2; 142285-1; 142079-2) pending 3rd reading ad favorable from B&I with 7 Amendments.

5/08/2012: pending 3rd reading and favorable from B & I with 7 amendments (142144-2; 142147-2; 142283-1; 142132-2; 142285-1; 142079-2; 142130-2). Sanford motion to Carry Over Temporarily adopted by a Voice Vote; Further Consideration.

Note: One of the amendments places the exchange board under the ethics code.

SB258/HB43 - Health Care Compact established, consent of U. S. Congress secured for return of authority to member states to regulate health care, Interstate Advisory Health Care Commission established, membership, duties, terms, funding

Sponsor(s):
SB258: Senators Reed, Ward, Orr, Allen, Beason, Waggoner, Pittman, Taylor, Whatley, Brewbaker, Scofield, Glover, McGill, Holtzclaw, Williams and Marsh
HB43: Representatives Ball, McCutcheon, Williams (P), Henry, McMillan, Sanderford, Mask, Johnson (K), Tuggle, Baughn, Hill, Galliher, Wallace, Roberts, Collins, Williams (J), Nordgren, Johnson (W), Williams (D), Greer, Lee, Beckman, Farley and Hammon

Summary/Synposis: This bill would establish the Health Care Compact and would secure the consent of the United States Congress to return the authority to regulate health care to the member states to the compact.

This bill would establish the Interstate Advisory Health Care Commission, and would provide for membership, duties, and terms of office. This bill would provide for funding to support the exercise of member state authority pursuant to the compact.

Note: The bill argues the legislation is an attempt to return authority over health care to the states; reestablish federalism as a state/federal balance of powers systems, not federal dominance; limit unfunded federal mandates that are draining state revenues; and protect individual liberty. It also suggests a state compact may be an easier method to accomplish these goals than seeking federal legislation.
League Action and Justification: LWVAL is monitoring SB258 and HB43.

Bill Progress in Legislature:
SB258 - 02/08/2012: First reading and referred to the 02/16/2012: 2nd reading and placed on the calendar; pending 3rd reading and favorable from Health.

5/09/2012: Indefinitely postponed.

HB43 - 2/7/2012: First reading and referred to the 4/12/2012: Read for the 2nd time and placed on the calendar; pending 3rd reading and Favorable from Health.

05/1/2012: 3rd Reading Carried Over; Ball motion to Carry Over Temporarily adopted by Voice Voter; Further Consideration.

5/09/2012: Indefinitely postponed.


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