Legislative Update
Legislative committees have just two weeks left to consider bills before the House and Senate will begin working towards first adjournment by the month’s end. The remaining notable healthcare bills that KMS is monitoring are listed below.
SB 352, the so-called “patients’ bill of rights” established extensive visitation policies and rights for patients receiving hospital care. The bill also tied a cause of action to each enumerated right and established a $25,000 penalty for a facility’s failure to comply. The bill advanced narrowly from the Senate and was heard in the House Health and Human Services committee. The House committee deleted the contents of the SB 352 and replaced them with HB 2548, which also relates to visitation policies, but does not include a new cause of action or financial penalties.
Both the House & Senate budget committees have included the KMS requested increase to physician fee schedule for Medicaid. The House has advanced a 15% proposed increase while the Senate included an 8% proposed increase. The budget will be debated by both houses and then differences will be reconciled in the conference committee process before the legislature breaks in April.
Legislative leaders have committed to holding a hearing on Medicaid Expansion before the session wraps up, but neither Health committee has announced a hearing date yet. Though the Governor has urged the legislature to pass her proposal, both the House Speaker and the Senate President have expressed strong opposition to the policy and it seems unlikely at this point that a Medicaid Expansion bill will emerge from either body.
Very few bills affecting health care remain active at this point in the session, but the following issues are still “alive” for consideration in the coming weeks:
HB 2547 - Authorizing schools to maintain certain emergency medication kits and to administer such medication in emergency situations.
HB 2579 - Authorizing the board of emergency medical services to distribute non-prescription over-the-counter medications
HB 2793 - Prohibiting healthcare providers from providing informed consent for services they perform on minors
SB 112 - Authorizing registered nurse anesthetists to engage in independent practice and prescribe drugs (KMS opposes)
SB 461 - Creating the laser hair removal act to restrict the performance of laser hair removal to certain medical professionals (KMS opposes)
SB 495 – Expanding Naturopathic Scope of practice (KMS opposes)
For questions about the above or any other legislation, please contact
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We need your help to combat Medicare fraud!
Kansas is seeing an increase in fraudulent Medicare charges, from unnecessary billings to over billing for items never requested.
What is Medicare fraud?
Medicare fraud happens when individuals or organizations deceive Medicare into paying for services or supplies that were never provided, unnecessary, or inflated in cost.
How does it harm?
- Increases healthcare costs for everyone
- Reduces the quality and availability of healthcare services
- Undermines trust in the healthcare system
How can you help?
- Be vigilant! Encourage your patients to report any suspicious activity or charges on their Medicare statements.
- Remind patients to protect their Medicare card and personal information. Don't share it with anyone except trusted healthcare providers.
- Educate yourself and others about Medicare fraud prevention.
- If patients do notice fraudulent charges, they can report it to the HHS Office of Inspector General here: https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/
- If they notice a fraudulent claim through their Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare drug plan, they can report it here:
- 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)
- Or The Investigations Medicare Drug Integrity Contractor
(I-MEDIC) at 1-877-7SAFERX (1-877-772-3379) - Or by US mail:
Qlarant
28464 Marlboro Avenue
Easton, MD 21601
Attn: I-MEDIC
Together, we can fight Medicare fraud and ensure that healthcare resources are used effectively and efficiently.
