Weekly Legislative Update: May 13, 2022

The Oklahoma State Medical Association OPPOSES the privatization and Big Insurance takeover of the state’s Medicaid system and OPPOSES SB 1337.

OSMA ACTION CALL CONTINUES…PLEASE CLICK HERE AND PARTICIPATE!

PLEASE PARTICIAPATE IN OSMA’s VOTERVOICE SYSTEM WHICH AUTOMATICALLY CONTACTS YOUR LEGISLATORS AND SHARES THE POSITION OF THE “HOUSE OF MEDICINE”.
(If you would like to confirm who your legislators are, please utilize this link: Find My Legislator)
SB 1337 remains in a “Conference Committee” consisting of a small group of Senate and House members responsible for crafting an “unamendable” bill for consideration by the legislature. OSMA continues to partner with our fellow physician organizations and has met with the bill authors about the measure. We remain steadfast in our opposition to a Big Insurance takeover of Oklahoma’s Medicaid system.

Although in the midst of our opposition, we have been told there will be a new version of measure to be under consideration next week. We must continue our loud and strong voice at the Capitol and let our legislators know this is a bad idea.

We understand there remains a companion proposal that would provide additional funding for Oklahoma hospitals. We all know how rural hospitals have financial challenges, and the possibility of receiving additional federal funds remains a major factor when considering the enormity of Medicaid reform. OSMA fully supports increasing funding to Oklahoma’s rural and safety net hospitals. However, while a community hospital is obviously a key component of the health care system, the system still relies on the physicians, nurses, dentists, mental health professionals and other health care practitioners and providers who deliver the daily and preventative care for their communities. Without them, a hospital is just a building.

Our message is crystal clear, MANAGED CARE IS NOT THE ANWSER! Please participate in OSMA’s ACTION CALL and let your legislator know Big Insurance does not represent quality care and SB 1337 should be defeated!

LEGISLATIVE ISSUES IMPORTANT TO OSMA

MEDICAID MANAGED CARE

SB 1337 (McCortney/McEntire) – Language drafted by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) allows for the creation of capitated Medicaid health insurance plans was filed this week. Sen. McCortney and Rep. McEntire continue to work with OSMA on language favorable to the state’s Medicaid patient population as well as physicians and other medical providers (Passed House as amended; Senate rejected House Amendments; to Conference Committee) OSMA OPPOSES

LEGAL REFORM

SB 1596 (Howard/Stinson) – Creates the Oklahoma Health Care Agent Act which establishes standards and procedures for adults and emancipated minors to designate medical power of attorney to an agent should they become medically incapable. The measure restores stricken language from last year which mistakenly repealed provisions dealing with a power of attorney for health care. (Passed Senate; Passed House; Signed by Governor) OSMA SUPPORTS

GENERAL GOVERNMENT

HB 3319 (Miller/Haste) – Permits the boards of nursing, osteopathic examiners, and medical licensure and supervision, to grant a health care provider a temporary license when an emergency has been declared by certain entities and provides guidelines for the license (Passed House; Amended and Passed Senate; back to House to consider Senate Amendments; House concurred with Senate Amendments; to Governor) OSMA SUPPORTS

HB 3415 (Pae/Howard) – Adjusts provisions related to electronic components of meetings subject to the Open Meeting Act including voting, attendance and posting standards. (Passed House; Amended and Passed Senate; House rejected Senate Amendments; to Conference Committee) OSMA SUPPORTS

SB 709 (Rosino/Roe) – Provides that the State Commissioner of Health serves at the pleasure of the Governor and is exempt from certain qualifications so long as they hold at least a master's degree and certain related experience. AMENDED TO INCLUDE THE STATUTORY CREATION OF A CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER (Passed Senate; Passed House as Amended; Senate Passed with House Amendments; Signed by Governor; SUPPLEMENTAL: Keith Reed, MPH, CPH, RN was confirmed by the Senate this week as Commissioner of the Oklahoma State Department of Health) OSMA SUPPORTS

SB 1322 (Pugh/Martinez) – Permits physician assistants operating under certain practice agreements to sign death certificates and take other related actions; amended to restate when PA’s can prescribe narcotics (Passed Senate; Passed House; Signed by Governor) OSMA OPPOSES

INSURANCE

HB 3504 (Provenzano/Stanley) – Requires all health benefit plans provide coverage for certain breast cancer diagnostic examinations (Passed House; Passed Retirement & Insurance Committee; Title Stricken*; Passed Senate as amended; Back to House to consider Senate amendments; Set on House Floor Agenda) OSMA SUPPORTS

MENTAL HEALTH

SB 1307 (Coleman/Vancuren) – Requires schools that issue student identification cards to include numbers for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Crisis Text Line and permits higher education institutions print similar information on student IDs (Passed Senate; Passed House Floor; Signed by Governor) OSMA SUPPORTS

SB 1413 (Montgomery/Sneed) – Directs the Insurance Department to conduct a market conduct examination to analyze certain limitations on mental health parity by health providers. (Passed Senate; Passed House Public Health; Passed House Floor as Amended; House concurred with Senate amendments; to Governor) OSMA SUPPORTS

WOMEN & CHILDREN HEALTH

HB 4327 (Stearman/Daniels) – Permits individuals to bring certain civil actions against any person who performs or assists in the performance of an abortion in any way. (Passed House; Passed Senate Floor as amended; to House to consider Senate amendments) OSMA OPPOSES**

SB 612 (Dahm/Olsen) – Relates to abortion by imposing a fine or prison sentence on any person purposely performing an abortion except to save the life of the mother (Carry over bill from 2021; Passed Senate; Passed House; Signed by Governor) OSMA OPPOSES**

SB 1100 (Bergstrom/Dills) – Limits the designation of a newborn's gender on birth certificates to only male or female and specifically prohibits nonbinary designations (Passed Senate; Passed House, Signed by Governor) OSMA OPPOSES

SB 1503 (Daniels/Russ) – Creates the Oklahoma Heartbeat Act which disallows abortion if a fetal heartbeat is detected and allows certain individuals to bring civil action against certain persons they know to have performed or undergone an abortion (Passed Senate; Passed House Public Health; Passed House; Signed by Governor) OSMA OPPOSES**

**OSMA understands the moral implications of the abortion issue; however, as long as the practice remains permissible at the federal level, OSMA opposes the criminalization of this legal medical procedure.

*Title Stricken means the language in the measure continues to be in a drafting stage and a work in progress.