The 2010 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature commenced Monday, March 29. Lawmakers will remain in session until 6 p.m. Monday, June 21. It is expected that the state's budget woes will overshadow most issues this legislative session. Lawmakers must agree on a mechanism to address an estimated $1.7 billion budget deficit for the state budget year which begins July 1, 2010.

 

Below is a list of healthcare related bills that have been filed for consideration during this session. To view any of these legislative instruments, visit the Louisiana legislature's Web site at www.legis.state.la.us. If you have any questions; feel free to email me at 362destiny@gmail.com

 

Exempts La. Citizens Property Insurance Corp. from posting bonds

Limits civil liability for persons using automated external defibrillators

Provides for the ancillary expenses of state government

Provides relative to health care services

Removes member from the Prescription Monitoring Program Advisory Council

Provides for admissibility of medical records

Extends the termination date of the La. Commission on HIV, AIDS, and Hepatitis C

Provides for the medical malpractice cap

Provides relative to the Prescription Monitoring Program

Increases the amount of time before a policy form is deemed approved before the commissioner's approval

Deletes Carisoprodol from provision of law regarding legend drugs

Requires each authorized insurer and health maintenance organization to produce and maintain a written insurance anti-fraud plan

Provides relative to health insurance coverage for unmarried dependent children

Adds certain persons to the Medical Malpractice Act and the Medical Malpractice Act for State Services

Provides for certain health insurance options related to the insured's lifestyle with respect to tobacco use and weight

Provides relative to the payment of local sales and use tax on prescription drugs and pharmacist services

Provides for continued health insurance coverage for an unmarried dependent student during a medically necessary leave of absence

Provides for access to information under the Prescription Monitoring Program Act

Authorizes the commissioner of insurance to promulgate rules and regulations relative to certain federal laws subject to legislative oversight

Allows minors at least 16 years of age to donate blood with parental consent

Provides relative to preferred provider agreements between certain hospital service districts and TRICARE

Provides authority for registered nurses to administer anesthetic doses through perineural catheters

Creates the crime of battery of a health care provider

Provides relative to the Horsemen's Workers' Compensation Program

Adds a pharmacy representative to the Workers' Compensation Advisory Council

Provides relative to health insurance claims review or audit

Provides for the definition of "rural hospital"

Provides relative to the Patient's Compensation Fund and its administration by the Patient's Compensation Fund Oversight Board

Requires BESE to adopt rules and regulations for the use of seclusion and physical restraint of students

Provides with respect to tobacco products

Provides relative to medical malpractice

Allows for the use of flex-rating for personal lines property and casualty insurance

Provides relative to standards for inpatient hospitalization at Feliciana Forensic Facility when a person is charged with certain felonies and misdemeanors

Requires instruction on safe haven infant relinquishments for certain individuals and provides for safe haven training and public information requirements

Restructures the Health Education Authority of La.

Provides for timely combined medical billing for a single inpatient or outpatient surgery or other medical procedure

Provides relative to open records of certain nonprofit corporations

Permits the application of reduced health insurance copayments for primary care services

Provides exceptions to the requirement for state agencies to purchase prostheses, orthoses, and related services only from an accredited facility

Provides for a copayment requirement in the Medicaid program for all nonemergency services provided by a hospital emergency room or emergency department

Abolishes the Department of Health and Hospitals and the Department of Social Services and creates the Department of Health and Social Services

Extends public records exemption to all practitioners licensed by the La. State Board of Medical Examiners

Allows DHH to create a pilot program to provide preterm labor management services for Medicaid-eligible women with high risk pregnancies

Provides relative to state continuation of group health and accident insurance coverage upon termination of employment

Provides relative to the rehabilitation of injured employees

Creates the Equal Pay for Women Act

 

Provides relative to medical review panels

Provides for conditions and prohibitions during withdrawal from health insurance markets in this state

Provides for the La. Mental Health Counselor Licensing Act

Limits discontinuation or cancellation of health insurance coverage under certain circumstances

Extends until Jan. 1, 2012, the facility need review approval for licensed intermediate care facilities that are located in certain areas

Provides relative to the definition of "public body" for purposes of public records laws

 

Provides relative to the payment and collection of Medicaid provider fees on prescription drugs

Expands the La. State Board of Medical Examiners' authority to assess and collect costs and fines

Provides relative to credit information for employment purposes

Provides relative to workers' compensation

Provides for voluntary wellness or health improvement programs to be offered by health insurance issuers

Requires health insurance issuers to directly pay noncontracted health care providers of emergency services for their usual and customary charges

Provides for coordination of health insurance benefits with Medicare

Creates the Equal Pay for Women Act

Removes the prohibition against non accredited facilities receiving payment from a state agency or Medicaid reimbursement for certain services

Allows pharmacists to administer influenza immunizations

Provides relative to workers' compensation

Provides relative to the scope and operation of Louisiana's workers' compensation system

Provides for compliance with federal law for expanded coverage by the Louisiana Health Plan

Provides relative to immunization against meningococcal disease

Allows agencies responsible for licensing health care professionals to hold an executive session following an administrative adjudication hearing

Provides for the process by which the Board of Examiners of Nursing Facility Administrators may establish fees and costs

Establishes the Louisiana Emergency Response Network as the lead agency to govern, develop, and manage a comprehensive statewide trauma system that would address trauma and time-sensitive illness

Provides relative to the La. Governmental Claims Act

Provides relative to medical malpractice claims of prisoners

Requires certification using the E-Verify program that employees hired by companies are legally authorized to work in the United States

Provides relative to the licensure, financial solvency, and regulation of prepaid entities participating in the La. Medicaid Program

Provides relative to contracts with dental providers

Prohibits coverage of elective abortions by health insurance issuers

Provides relative to determinations of average weekly wage of professional athletes.

Enacts the Louisiana Health Care Freedom Act

Provides relative to dental advertisements

Adds drugs to Schedule I classification

Provides elements of conspiracy to violate the Louisiana Employment Discrimination Law

Mandates use of the E-verify system for new employees

Provides relative to the state's unemployment and employment programs

Re-creates the Louisiana Workforce Commission

Provides relative to workers' compensation

Provides with respect to those included in the workers' compensation system

Require medical necessity review organizations to notify the commissioner of insurance upon changes in fact or circumstance affecting its qualification for a license

Provide for coverage by contract health care providers at a covered health care facility

Allows anesthesiologist assistants to administer anesthesia under certain circumstances

Provides relative to the high risk health insurance pool

Prohibits contractual credit to a UM carrier for workers' compensation and medical paid

Adds certain drugs to Schedule I of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law

Provides relative to employment contracts

Removes provisions which allow an employer to waive the existence of certain criminal offenses when hiring any licensed ambulance personnel or non licensed persons

Provides that certain medical transportation services provided by or to state owned facilities shall not be subject to regulation by local governing authorities

Provides for contracts for fiscal intermediary services in processing claims of health care providers

Provides for the codification of the rules and regulations promulgated by the Department of Health and Hospitals

Provides for the membership of the Prescription Monitoring Program Advisory Council

Provides for the Louisiana Mental Health Counselor Licensing Act

Provides for administration of nitrous oxide inhalation analgesia

Provides for changes to the Nursing Home Patient's Bill of Rights

Enacts the Louisiana Equal Pay for Women Act

Provides relative to electronic medical billing requirements for workers' compensation matters

Provides relative to the Incumbent Worker Training Program

Provides a workers' compensation exception for owner operators of truck tractors and truck tractor trailers

Provides relative to membership on the Occupational Forecasting Conference

Provides for reciprocity with states who apply Louisiana Workers' Compensation Law to a complaint filed in that state by a professional athlete injured while employed by a Louisiana employer

Changes the definition of covered employee to exclude illegal aliens relative to workers' compensation

Provides relative to employment records and reports for purposes of unemployment insurance

Eliminate Workers' Compensation Second Injury Fund

Provides relative to civil actions against certain professionals for malpractice

Provides for the pronouncement of death for certain organ donors

Provides for a credit for compensation benefits payable to a professional athlete who receives payment pursuant to the provisions, including injury provisions, contained in a contract or collective bargaining agreement

Establishes the Health Care Stabilization Fund as a special fund in the state treasury

Provides relative to bonus payments to employees

Provides relative to determinations of average weekly wage of professional athletes

Provides relative to workers' compensation self-insurance funds

Provides relative to the Patient's Compensation Fund and its administration by the Patient's Compensation Fund Oversight Board

Provides for the First Responder Financial Stabilization and Enhancement Act

Provides relative to consumer credit reports being used for employment

Provides relative to the employment of persons licensed by the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry by non-profit entities eligible for certain federal grants

Provides that certification cards be issued to those who successfully complete a state approved electrical apprenticeship program approved by the La. Workforce Commission

Provides relative to apprentices

Requires the Department of Health and Hospitals secretary to license and enroll in the Medicaid program certain providers who operate intermediate care facilities for the developmentally disabled

Creates the Louisiana Mandated Health Benefits Commission and provides for its membership and functions

Provides with respect to certain conditions required for certain members of the Clinical Laboratory Personnel Committee

Provides for the definition of a rural hospital for purposes of the Rural Hospital Preservation Act

Provides for the state to contract with a private entity to develop and implement a safety plan to reduce the reportable incident rate of state employees, including accountability for accomplishing such goals

Provides for the definition of a "rural hospital."

Makes changes to the nursing home reimbursement methodology

Enacts the "Fair Billing for Medical Records" Act

Provides relative to the Patient's Compensation Fund

Provides for regulation and operation of certain group self-insurance funds for workers' compensation

Provides relative to Workers' Compensation Second Injury Fund

Provides for payment to non-contracted health care providers of emergency services

Directs the Louisiana State University - Health Care Services Division to fully implement the recommendations from the Alvarez & Marsal, March 23, 2009, financial and operational assessment of the Interim LSU Public Hospital

Requests the Department of Health and Hospitals to report to the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare by April 30, 2010, to provide information with respect to the effects of the recently passed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act upon the state of Louisiana