Directs the Division of Medical Assistance to revise the Independent Clinical Laboratory Manual to include licensed substance abuse treatment programs as authorized prescribers of random substance treatment-related urine drug screens.
Directs the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy to continue submitting to the legislature an annual public health access beneficiary employer report that must include names and addresses of employers whose employees and/or their dependents receive public medical assistance or medical benefits, the number of employees and/or dependents receiving public benefits, the cost to the Commonwealth for providing the benefits, and whether the employer offers health benefits to its employees.
Directs the Department of Public Health to conduct a study on the impact of expanding the availability of primary care health care services in community hospitals, including the number and types of procedures primary care providers perform, related changes in revenue, recruitment and retention of primary care providers, and changes in types of compensation for services. DPH must issue a report to the legislature by April 1, 2011 summarizing its findings and making recommendations to strengthen community hospitals.
Establishes a special commission to study the financial needs of community hospitals, with a focus on use of technology, maintaining adequate facilities, meeting the health care needs of the general population in the next decade and determining potential sources of capital to meet those needs. The commission is also directed to evaluate the role of public programs, payments, and regulations in supporting capital accumulation, and make recommendations to the legislature to advance the ability of community hospitals to meet the expected demand. The commission must hold hearings as part of its investigation and submit its findings in a report to the legislature by December 31, 2011.
Permits a physician or an optometrist to dispense and sell therapeutic contact lenses in-office, as long as dispensing the medication contained in the lenses is within his or her scope of practice.
Directs relevant policymaking agencies to consider the special needs of children and pediatric patients when developing and utilizing data standards, quality measurement systems, wellness initiatives, or making comparisons of costs and prices. Policymakers may require that comparative data and reports related to pediatric patients and providers be segregated from adult patients and providers.
Establishes a special commission to study the impact of reducing the number of health plans that a health insurance provider may maintain and offer to individuals and employers.
Directs the Division of Insurance (DOI), in consultation with the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, to establish regulations by December 1, 2011 to simplify health care facility and provider administrative duties of processing claims for health care services. At a minimum, the regulations must create a standard prior authorization form for providers and must specify uniform standards for determining member eligibility and processing provider appeals of denied claims. Establishes a new commission to study the feasibility and financial implications of mandating a single claims administration system that would require the participation of all public and private health insurance payers, other than Medicare, in the Commonwealth. DOI must consult with this commission before adopting regulations under this section.
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to organize a working group consisting of many state agencies and health care community stakeholders to identify ways to streamline health care administration requirements and reduce reporting requirements through the use of a single all-payer database.
The group must issue a report to the legislature by April 1, 2011 identifying steps each agency will take to collectively simplify administrative and reporting requirements.
Allows individuals to renew health insurance coverage in 2010 outside of the biannual open enrollment period of January 1 through February 15 and July 1 through August 15 if the coverage will expire before the following open enrollment period in 2011 for a period of less than one year. Note that Section 27 of this Act reduces the biannual open enrollment period to only one annual open enrollment period during July 1 through August 15 effective January 1, 2011.