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Tallahassee Update
February 6, 2004--
Another busy
"pre-session" week in Tallahassee, as action was taken on several issues, and
many new issues arose for which I would like the input of FSTCS Board members.
Issues Acted Upon:
The House Health Committees gave preliminary approval to bills that would ban
Ephedra and establish a statewide prescription database that physicians could
access to prevent doctor shopping and check existing medications; while
physicians could access the database, the pharmacies would be responsible for
input (privacy concerns also were addressed). HB 397
Reacting to organized medicine concerns that the bill would overregulate
medicine, the senate Health, Aging and Long-Term Care Committee temporarily
postponed a proposed physician licensure/profile bill.
Reacting to concerns from the American College of Physicians, the House
Judiciary Committee temporarily postponed a bill that would eliminate the
ability of family members to withdraw feeding tubes from vegetative patients
unless a specific directive had been made by the patient authorizing the
withdrawal of nutrition/hydration for that particular condition. Is this an
issue that FSTCS wants to join in on?
Developing Issues:
The ophthalmologists would like to introduce language that would require the
operating surgeon to maintain primary responsibility for postoperative care for
at least 14 days after a surgery. What do you think?
Rep. Ritter is considering Assistant at Surgery language that would mandate
payment for PAs, ARNPs and physicians as first assistants if covered by a plan.
Under current law, only ARNPs have such protection. While not guaranteeing
payment for all FA services, in my opinion this is a step in the right direction
and consistent with our long-standing policy.
Rep. Greene has filed a bill (HB 811) to allow ARNPs to prescribe controlled
substances.
Bills have been filed in both the House and Senate that would require hospitals
to ensure that physicians providing trauma care are paid out of PIP funds.
These funds currently are taken by the hospital, leaving leftovers for the
physicians.
With regard to CON issues, the Senate Health Committee passed a redrafted
exemption bill that would do what last year's unconstitutionally passed bill
would have done. In the House, measure to allow PCI in non-CON facilities with
transfer agreements and other safety measures passed its first (the language was
approved by the FSTCS Council last year).
I look forward to your comments, as we are being asked to weigh in on many of
these issues.
Christopher L. Nuland, Esq.
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