Legislative Update: Week of March 12th

With the weather warming up and bringing spring early in some places around Michigan this also motivated the legislature to work on some bigger issues, let's run through the activity:

House:

The House Health Policy committee took testimony on four bills that provide for chemotherapy drug parity for insurance reimbursement purposes. The intent of the legislation is to make reimbursement and coverage of I.V. and oral chemotherapy prescriptions on the same plane. Much testimony was given providing insights of physicians and patients and interactions with the two different methods of treatment. The committee could bring the legislation to a vote very soon.

The House Judiciary committee HB 5338 and SB 789 which would give the Department of Community Health the ability to temporally assign or reassign drugs to the different levels in the controlled substance schedule. This gives the department the ability to take of substances off the street or curb the abuse of the substances by allowing law enforcement and others to act in situations of abuse. The past couple committee meetings had been about Medical Marihuana, that issue has now provided some amendments to the legislation introduced and testified on in committee. The committee looks to act on Medical Marihuana in the coming weeks.

Senate:


Dr. Steven Newman testifying
in support of Senate Bills
429 and 430.

The full Senate acted on the autism insurance requirements this week and passed the legislation to the House for their consideration. The autism package was in the Health Policy committee in the Senate, it will now be sent to the House Families, Children's, and Seniors committee for further consideration.

The Senate Health Policy committee considered three items that included SB 973 (creating an interstate compact for health insurance between states), and SB 595 that creates a low costs insurance program in lieu of the insurance exchange. Both of these bills were just brought forward to testimony only, it's unknown when the committee will vote on these issues.

The Senate Judiciary committee considered one bill that caught our eye, SB 974 that would restrict the use of Medical Marihuana in certain locations. It allows private property owners, if they choose to, restrict the use of Marihuana on their property. The committee did vote this out and now is referred to the full Senate for their consideration.






From left to right:
Kurt C. Anderson, DO President MOA,
William R. Morrone, DO MAOFP
Steven E. Newman, MD President MSMS

The Senate Insurance committee considered two bill SB 429 and SB 430 which amends the insurance code and PA 350 (Blue Cross/Blue Shield statue) to create a prior authorization form that is universal throughout all insurers. Dr. Steven Newman, MSMS President testified along with physicians from the Michigan Osteopathic Association and the Michigan Academy of Osteopathic Family Physicians. Both of these bills were voted out by the committee and await consideration on the Senate Floor.

Appropriations:

The House subcommittee for Community Health heard public testimony and testimony from the department on behavioral health services and services to the aging. The Senate committee heard testimony on Michigan's Medicaid program. Both committees are scheduled to wrap up hearing testimony here in the coming weeks.

For information on upcoming legislative activities check out our website at http://www.msms.org/advocacy.