Human Resources Committee Report – week 9, 2017

SF 53  – 20-week abortion ban
SF 222 – Lyme’s Disease treatment
SF 282 – Medical cannabis
SF 316 – Medicaid host homes
SF 342 – Medicaid managed care claims payments
SF 369 – Psychiatric bed tracking improvements
SF 383 – Supportive Housing Task Force
SSB 1133 – Mental health professionals duties
SSB 1157 – Public assistance asset verification
SSB 1164 – Dental hygienists educational activities

 

COMMITTEE ACTION

SF 53 bans most abortions after 20 weeks post-fertilization. An amendment eliminates the bill’s provisions around civil and criminal penalties for physicians, expands the exceptions to include certain fetal anomalies between 20 and 24 weeks post fertilization, and clarifies life-of-the-mother exceptions.
[3/2: 9-3 (Bolkcom, Jochum, Quirmbach “no”; Chapman excused)]

 

SF 222 allows physicians to treat Lyme’s Disease or other tick-borne diseases and grants an exemption from discipline under certain circumstances.
[3/2: short form (Chapman excused)]

 

SF 282 directs the Pharmacy Board to immediately reschedule any investigational product that receives U.S. Food & Drug Administration approval in the same manner as the drugs are rescheduled federally. The bill also repeals the sunset of the existing Medical Cannabidiol Act.
[3/2: short form (Chapman excused)]

 

SF 316 directs the Department of Human Services to amend contracts with the Medicaid managed care companies to allow family host homes paid at a daily rate. Any family using the host home situation under fee-for-service Medicaid with an Exception to Policy may continue that arrangement in Medicaid managed care.
[3/2: short form (Chapman excused)]

 

SF 342 requires the Department of Human Services to adopt rules and amend managed care contracts to require the managed care companies to pay an interest penalty of 1.5 percent when clean claims are not paid at the correct amount within 90 days of submittal. It also allows providers 365 days to submit claims rather than 185 days.
[3/2: short form (Chapman excused)]

 

SF 369 makes improvements to the Psychiatric Bed Tracking System and requires the Department of Human Services to take the lead in making sure the system is up to date on a daily basis.
[3/2: short form (Chapman excused)]

 

SF 383 establishes a task force on supportive housing to the homeless through the Iowa Finance Authority. A report must be submitted to the Legislature by December 29, 2017.
[3/2: short form (Chapman excused)]

 

SSB 1133 allows mental health professionals (in addition to physicians) to perform examinations, treat and prescribe treatment or medications, and submit reports to the court in accordance with certain hospitalizations and committals for patients with a substance-abuse disorder or serious mental illness. This bill is based on a set of recommendations put forward by a diverse group of stakeholders.
[3/2: short form (Chapman excused)]

 

SSB 1157 requires the Department of Human Services to report by December 15 on progress toward contracting with a third-party vendor to establish an electronic asset verification system to determine eligibility for public assistance.
[3/2: short form (Chapman excused)]

 

SSB 1164 allows dental hygienists to perform certain educational functions without supervision by a dentist, including teaching the importance of dental care at schools and nursing homes.
[3/2: short form (Chapman excused)]