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2019 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Education and Health
Subcommittee Health Professions

Dunnavant (Chairman), Suetterlein, Carrico, Barker, Lucas, Peake

Clerk: Patty Lung
Staff: Thomas Stevens
Date of Meeting: January 15, 2019
Time and Place: 8:30 am - Subcommittee Room 2, 5th Fl. Pocahontas Bldg.

S.B. 1124

Patron: Favola

Telemedicine; physicians licensed in contiguous jurisdictions. Authorizes a person licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy who is in good standing with the applicable regulatory agency of a jurisdiction that is contiguous to the Commonwealth to provide health care services to patients located in the Commonwealth through use of telemedicine services.

S.B. 1167

Patron: Chafin

Medicaid recipients; treatment involving opioids or opioid replacements; payment. Prohibits health care providers licensed by the Board of Medicine from requesting or requiring a patient who is a recipient of medical assistance services pursuant to the state plan for medical assistance to whom health care services involving (i) the prescription of an opioid for the management of pain or (ii) the prescription of buprenorphine-containing products, methadone, or other opioid replacements approved for the treatment of opioid addiction by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for medication-assisted treatment of opioid addiction are provided to pay costs associated with the provision of such service out-of-pocket, unless such provider has received (a) a rejection of prior authorization, (b) a rejection of a submitted claim, or (c) a written denial of reimbursement for such service from the Department of Medical Assistance Services.

S.B. 1209

Patron: Peake

Patient care team podiatrist definition; physician assistant definition and supervision requirements. Establishes the definition of "patient care team podiatrist" and amends the definition of "physician assistant." The bill modifies the supervision requirements for physician assistants by establishing a patient care team model.

S.B. 1221

Patron: Chafin


Telemedicine services; coverage and practice. Requires insurers, corporations, or health maintenance organizations to cover remote patient monitoring services as part of their coverage of telemedicine services to the full extent that these services are available. The bill defines remote patient monitoring services as the delivery of home health services using telecommunications technology to enhance the delivery of home health care, including monitoring of clinical patient data such as weight, blood pressure, pulse, pulse oximetry, blood glucose, and other condition-specific data; medication adherence monitoring; and interactive video conferencing with or without digital image upload.

The bill requires the Board of Medical Assistance Services to include in the state plan for medical assistance services a provision for the payment of medical assistance for health care services provided through telemedicine services, including remote monitoring services and the use of telemedicine technologies as it pertains to remote patient monitoring services, to the full extent that these services are available.

The bill provides that provisions of the Code of Virginia regulating health professions regulated by the Board of Medicine do not prevent or prohibit any practitioner of one of such professions who is located in another state and is in good standing with the applicable regulatory agency in such state from providing telemedicine services within the scope of his practice to a patient located in Virginia.

Finally, the bill provides that in cases in which a practitioner of the healing arts is providing telemedicine services, such practice is deemed to occur where the practitioner is located at the time of provision.

S.B. 1289

Patron: Edwards

Board of Pharmacy: seizure of controlled substances and prescription devices. Establishes a process by which the Board of Pharmacy, an authorized agent of the Board, or law enforcement can seize and place under seal controlled substances and prescription devices that are owned or possessed by a person or entity when the registration, license, permit, or certificate authorizing such ownership or possession is suspended or revoked. The bill also provides procedures and requirements for the transfer and disposal of sealed controlled substances and prescription devices if subject to forfeiture. The bill provides that the period in which the Director of the Department of Health Professions, his authorized agent, or a law-enforcement officer may properly dispose of the seized drugs and devices in the event the owner has not claimed and provided for the proper disposition of the property is 60 days from notice of seizure. Under current law, such period is six months from notice of seizure.

S.B. 1405

Patron: Dance

Pharmacist; counseling for new prescriptions; disposal of medicine. Allows a pharmacist to include information regarding the proper disposal of medicine when giving counsel to a person who presents a new prescription for filling.

S.B. 1518

Patron: Carrico

Non-opioid pharmacological therapy and non-pharmacological therapy. Requires the Board of Dentistry and the Board of Medicine to include in regulations for prescribing opioids for the treatment of chronic pain the development of a treatment plan for the patient, which shall include a discussion with the patient regarding the benefits and risks of opioid therapy and the availability of non-opioid pharmacological therapy and non-pharmacological therapy. The bill requires health insurers, health maintenance organizations, and corporations providing health care coverage subscription contracts to provide coverage for non-opioid analgesic drugs prescribed to covered individuals or a non-pharmacological therapy recommended by a prescriber as an alternative to a prescription drug to covered individuals for chronic pain. This requirement applies to policies, contracts, and plans delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, 2020.