HOSPITAL DISTRICT SALES TAX TRUST FUND (Sections 144.032 and 205.205 and Section B)

This act authorizes hospital districts located within Iron County to abolish their existing property tax levies and, upon voter approval, impose a sales tax of up to one percent to fund the district. The hospital district sales tax will be imposed upon all retail sales made within the district and all sales of metered water services, electricity, electrical current and natural, artificial or propane gas, wood, coal, or home heating oil for domestic use.

These provisions contain an emergency clause.

These provisions are identical to SCS/SB 117 (2011).

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).

SICKLE CELL DISEASE STANDING COMMITTEE (Sections 191.305 & 191.310)

The Missouri Genetic Advisory Committee is authorized to establish permanent standing committees including, but not limited to, a permanent sickle cell disease standing committee to assess the impact of sickle cell disease on urban committees, examine the existing services and resources to address the needs of people with the disease, and develop recommendations for educational services to schools on the traits of the disease, and develop recommendations for educational services to schools on the traits of the disease and its effects. The specific duties, procedures and membership of the committee are outlined under the act. A report of the committee's findings and any recommendations shall be submitted to the Governor and General Assembly by December 31, 2011. The committee shall continue to meet at least once each year and submit an annual report until December 31, 2013, when the standing committee expires.

NEWBORN SCREENING (Section 191.334)

This act requires, subject to appropriations, the Department of Health and Senior Services to expand b January 1, 2012, the newborn screening requirements to include pulse oximetry screenings prior to the newborn being discharged from a health care facility.

This provision is substantially similar to HB 838 (2011).

HOSPITAL LICENSURE REGULATIONS (Sections 197.080, 197.100, 536.031)

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.

The department shall also designate adequate and sufficient consultation and staffing resources to facilitate the required annual inspection of hospitals for licensure. The department shall also accept a hospital inspection report from the CMS-approved organizations in lieu of the department's or other governmental organization's annual inspection report and also shall accept such hospital inspection report for licensure purposes if the accreditation inspection was conducted within 3 years, rather than 1 year, of the most recent license renewal. This act also limits the scope of a good cause departmental inspection to the specific regulatory standard raised by the complaint.

This act also allows the department, when publishing hospital licensure regulations, to incorporate by reference later additions and amendments to the guidelines, standards, or regulations as needed to consistently apply current standards of safety, quality, and practice.

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 contained in the introduced version of HB 579 (2011).

MO HEALTHNET DENTAL BENEFITS (SECTION 208.240)

The MO HealthNet Division within the Department of Social Services, or a contractor of the division, is authorized to implement a statewide dental delivery system to ensure participation of and access to providers in all areas of the state. The division may administer the system or seek a third party experienced in the administration of dental benefits to administer the program under the supervision of the division.

This provision is identical to a provision in HCS/SCS/SB 177 (2011) and substantially similar to HB 201 (2011).

MISSOURI RX PLAN (Section 208.798)

This act extends the sunset provision of the Missorui Rx plan from August 28, 2011 to August 28, 2016.

This act is substantially similar to SB 80 (2011).

REFERENCING THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED (VARIOUS SECTIONS IN CHAPTERS 8, 178, 189, 192, 198, 205, 208, 210, 211, 402, 475, 476, 552, 630, 632, 633, and 660)

This act changes most references of "mentally retarded," "mental retardation," or "handicapped" in current state law to "developmentally disabled," "developmental disability," or "disabled" respectively.

These provisions are identical to HB 648 (2011).

There is an emergency clause for the Hospital District Sales Tax Trust Fund provisions.

ADRIANE CROUSE