CCS/HCS/SCS/SB 177 - This act modifies provisions relating to public health policies.SUNSET PROVISION ON CHILDREN'S VISION EXAMINATION PROGRAM (Section 167.194)
This act extends the sunset provision to the children's vision examination program from June 30, 2012 to June 30, 2015.
These provisions are similar to provisions in SB 311 (2011) and HB 677 (2011).
COPIES OF MEDICAL RECORDS
(Section 191.227)
Current law allows a health care provider to condition the furnishing of medical records on the payment of a fee to cover costs of copying, postage and notary services. This act provides that the copying amount shall not exceed $21.36 plus 50 cents for supplies and labor per page plus, if the health care provider has contracted for off-site records storage and management, any additional labor costs of outside storage retrieval, not to exceed $20, as adjusted annually per the Consumer Price Index.
In instances where the health care provider stores records in an electronic or digital format, and provides the requested records, including any requested affidavits, in an electronic or digital format, the maximum copying amount shall not exceed $5 plus 50 cents per page, or $25 total, whichever is less.
This provision is identical to HCS/SS#2/SCS/SB 62 (2011), HCS/HB 579 (2011), and similar to HB 528 (2011) and HB 580 (2011).
HOSPITAL LICENSURE AND REGULATION
(Sections 197.071, 197.080)
This act requires the Department of Health and Senior Services to review and revise its regulations governing hospital licensure and enforcement to promote efficiency and eliminate duplicate regulations and inspections by or on behalf of the state and federal agencies.
The department is also required to adopt regulations that require among other things: (1) Specific findings of deficiencies to refer to the specific written and publicly available standard that is the basis of the finding; (2) Consistency with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) Conditions of Participation for hospitals; (3) A process and standards to determine if a complaint warrants an onsite investigation; (4) Limits to a complaint investigation performed by the department to the specific regulatory standard raised by the complaint, unless there is an immediate safety threat; and (5) A process to provide a hospital with a report of all complaints made against it.
Subject to appropriations, the department shall also designate adequate and sufficient consultation and staffing resources to facilitate the required annual inspection of hospitals for licensure.
A hospital and its staff shall have the opportunity to participate at least annually in training sessions provided to state licensure surveyors and in the training of surveyors assigned to the inspection of hospitals to the fullest extent possible.
This act also establishes specific timelines identical to those in CMS's State Operations Manual for state hospital officials to respond to a hospital regarding the status and outcome of pending investigations and possible regulatory action.
These provisions are similar to provisions contained in the introduced version of HB 579 (2011).
SCHIP RENEWAL PROCEDURES(Section 208.184)
The Department of Social Services is required to provide a pre-populated form, completed by the department based on all available information, and a notice to the parent or caretaker relative of a child eligible for MO HealthNet or State Children's Health Insurance Program benefits that even if there are no changes in information such as family composition impacting eligibility, the parent or caretaker relative shall send back the prepopulated form with a signature to verify information. If the information is not accurate, the parent or relative shall be required to provide updated information.
This provision is similar to provisions in HCS/HB 555 (2011).
REIMBURSEMENT AMOUNTS PAID BY HEALTH CARRIERS TO LICENSED PHYSICAL THERAPISTS (Section 376.1231)
Under this act, reimbursement amounts and copays paid by health carriers for any particular health care service or procedure rendered by a physical therapist shall be in the same amount as reimbursements paid by health carriers to any other licensed physical therapist performing the same or similar procedures. Such uniform reimbursement requirement shall apply regardless of the setting or venue in which the health care services or procedures are rendered.
This act is similar to SB 148 (2011) and HB 669 (2011).
MENTAL HEALTH EARNINGS FUND (Sections 630.053 and 630.095) This act provides that subject to appropriations, the proceeds earned from the sale of Mental Health First Aid USA services shall be directed to the Mental Health Earnings Fund. Such proceeds shall be used for the purpose of funding Mental Health First AID USA activities and shall be accounted for separately from all other revenues deposited in the fund.
This provision is identical to provisions in SS/HB 648 (2011) and SS/SCS/HCS/HB 555 (2011) and HB 557 (2011).
DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH INVESTIGATIONS (Section 630.167)
This act also updates a statutory reference to reflect that Department of Mental Health investigative reports are automatically admissible in any hearing before the Administrative Hearing Commission.
This provision is identical to provisions in SS/HB 648 (2011) and SS/SCS/HCS/HB 555 (2011).
ADRIANE CROUSE