H_HIE_2017A 03/16/2017 Committee Summary

01:33 PM -- SB 17-146



Representative Ginal presented Senate Bill 17-146 to the committee and presented several handouts (Attachments A though E). The bill increases health professionals' access to the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) database by:



170316 AttachA.pdf170316 AttachB.pdf170316 AttachC.pdf170316 AttachD.pdf170316 AttachE.pdf



• allowing a practitioner with prescribing authority to query the PDMP about a current patient, regardless of whether the practitioner is currently prescribing or considering prescribing any controlled substance;

• allowing a veterinarian with prescribing authority to query the PDMP about a current client or patient if the veterinarian has a reasonable basis to suspect the client has committed drug abuse or has mistreated an animal; and

• allowing a pharmacist to query the PDMP about a current patient for whom the pharmacist is dispensing any prescription drug, rather than only patients receiving controlled substances.



01:52 PM -- Ronne Hines, Director of Division of Professions and Occupations, Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, testified in support of the bill.













02:04 PM -- Dr. Robert Valuck, representing the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention, testified in support of the bill and presented a handout (Attachment F).



170316 AttachF.pdf



02:40 PM -- Dr. Tim Hackett, representing Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, and Dr. Bill Fredregill, representing Colorado Veterinary Medical Association, testified in support of the bill.



02:51 PM -- Dr. Gregg Minion, representing himself, testified in support of the bill.



02:56 PM -- Ed Shackelford, representing the Colorado Senior Lobby, testified in support of the bill.



02:59 PM -- Jeanette Hensley, representing herself, testified in support of the bill.

03:09 PM -- SB 17-108



Representative Buckner presented Senate Bill 17-108 to the committee, along with amendment L.002 (Attachment G). This bill continues the regulation of speech-language pathologists by the Director of the Division of Professions and Occupations in the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) from September 1, 2017, when the program is currently set to expire, to September 1, 2022. As recommended by the DORA Sunset Report, the bill removes references to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.



170316 AttachG.pdf









03:18 PM -- Allison Foster, representing Colorado Speech Language & Hearing Association, testified in support of the bill.



03:20 PM -- Kathy Boada, representing Children's Hospital Colorado, testified in support of the bill.



03:32 PM -- Brian Tobias, representing DORA, answered committee members' questions.

03:44 PM -- SB 17-065



Representative Lontine presented Senate Bill 17-065 to the committee and presented a handout (Attachment H) and amendments L.010, L.007, and L,009 (Attachments I, J and K, respectively). The reengrossed bill creates the Transparency in Health Care Price Act. The act requires certain health care professionals and health care facilities, as defined by the bill, to make a single document available to the public that lists the direct pay prices for the most common health care services provided. Health care professionals and facilities must update the document at least annually and provide the document on request and electronically if a website exists. A health care provider who is a member of a professional corporation that contracts with a single health maintenance organization is not required to post a price list if the health maintenance organization does so on its website. The bill also mandates certain disclosures concerning the estimated nature of the prices listed for services and patient's financial responsibility if they are covered or not covered by insurance.



170316 AttachH.pdf170316 AttachI.pdf170316 AttachJ.pdf170316 AttachK.pdf



Under the bill, health care professionals and facilities are not required to submit their direct pay prices to any government agency for review, unless otherwise specified by existing law. The bill does not provide any agency with the authority to approve, disapprove, limit, or change the direct pay prices disclosed by health care professionals or facilities. The bill also prohibits any person, entity, or health insurer from penalizing a person who pays directly for health care services.



04:12 PM -- Diane Robinson, representing herself, testified in support of the bill.



04:16 PM -- Amber Burkhart, representing the Colorado Hospital Association, testified in support of the bill.

04:38 PM



The meeting adjourned.