Stopping surprise medical billing

The Senate approved a bill against surprise medical bills and the financial devastation that can follow.  Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, the principal author of Senate Bill 548, said under the bill, a health care provider would be prohibited from reporting a healthcare debt to a credit bureau or pursue collection unless a good faith estimate of the cost of the procedure or care was presented before the service was provided.

The bill also addresses emergency services in cases where the patient is not able to make an informed choice regarding their care.  In those cases, an insured patient could only be charged the rates for an in-network facility or provider, which can be significantly less the amount charged for those out-of-network.  For those who are uninsured, the amount charged can be no more than 165 percent of Medicare.

Encouraging Oklahoma’s rural doctors

Doctors practicing in rural areas  would qualify for up to a $25,000 tax credit if legislation that passed in the House is signed into law.

House Bill 2089, authored by House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka and Speaker Pro Tempore O’Donnell, would grant the tax credit on income  related to the practice of medicine or osteopathic medicine by a qualifying physician.

Doctors qualifying for the tax credit will be allowed to receive it for four subsequent years. There would be a $1 million cap on the total of credits that could be claimed in any one year.

Visits to long-term care patients

State Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, successfully passed a bill that will protect the rights of long-term care residents, allowing them visits by friends and family members and care by outside health care providers.

House Bill 2566 ensures visitation and health care services contracted through the long-term care facilities are provided in a safe manner in accordance with Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH)  Guidelines.

“Residents in some of our long-term care facilities have gone for almost a year without visits from friends or loved ones or even from outside health practitioners,” Caldwell said.

The bill passed on the same day Gov. Kevin Stitt and Health Commissioner Lance Frye said the state is updating its visitation guidelines to allow visitors who have completed state-certified care training to visit their loved one.

Capping the cost of insulin

The House approved HB 1019 that would cap the cost of insulin for many Oklahomans with Type 1 diabetes. It would cap the amount of copayment an individual would be required to pay at $90 for a 90-day supply. Currently, an individual’s copay is based on their insurance plan.

Type 1 diabetes is caused when a person’s body does not produce enough insulin, resulting in high levels of blood sugar or glucose. This puts them at risk of serious health complications, including kidney failure and stroke. There is no known way to prevent or cure Type 1 diabetes.

In Oklahoma, approximately 14.3% of the adult population have some form of diabetes, of which 5% have Type 1 diabetes and require insulin. According to the American Diabetes Association, Oklahomans with diabetes have medical expenses approximately 2.3 times higher than those who do not have diabetes.