1. 2016 LEGISLATIVE SESSION BRIAN COLBY MISSOURI HEALTH ADVOCACY ALLIANCE

2. BUSY START IN THE HOUSE House members file more bills by halfway mark than all of the previous year. Fevered pace makes it hard on advocates and Empower MO.

3. TOUGH STUFF IN THE SENATE SJR 39 – Religious Freedom or the Right to Discriminate? 40 hours of Filibuster Ugly PQ, procedural moves in the Senate leave a bitter taste.

4. A LOT OF BILLS Over 2,000 bills were introduced. 146 bills were Truly Agreed to and Finally Passed. 81 House Bills (includes the 16 budget bills that account for the State’s $26 billion budget) 57 Senate Bills

5. GOOD NEWS FOR HEALTH POLICY A bill to Raise the Asset Limit for our Seniors, Blind and People with Disabilities passed and is waiting for the Governor’s signature. This will be the first time the asset limit will have been raise since the beginning of the program. HB 1565 Rate Review a bill that requires insurers to file premium rates with the department passed. Missouri will now be a Certified Rate Review state and that might add some transparency to our insurance marketplace and give the department critical information regarding our health insurance marketplace. SB 865&866

6. GOOD NEWS FOR HEALTH POLICY Similar biologics bill that allows a pharmacist filling a prescription order for a brand name biological product to select a less expensive interchangeable biological product passed. This bill saw a broad coalition of disease advocates, pharmaceutical industry and insurance companies coming together to help hold down the cost of these new drugs as they come to market. SB 875 Telehealth bill passes that advance the rapidly growing and important field of telemedicine. This bill allows for origination fees, prescribing of medicine, home monitoring and dental work to be done using the tools now available in telemedicine. SB579

7. DISAPPOINTING NEWS IN HEALTH POLICY The prescription drug monitoring program PDMP bill did not make it through the Senate after making it through House. The bill establishing the Perinatal Council could not get through the Senate. This bill would be critical to expediting the time it takes to get premature children into specialty institutions. Stripped out in conference committee was the amendment to add the CARE Act that helps empower patients, caregivers with information that helps in hospital transitions.

8. THE BAD NEWS IN HEALTH POLICY A bill that would increase copays and fines on MO Healthnet participants who miss appointments did pass both chambers. It still could be vetoed by the Governor. That bill number is SB 608. This bill became an omnibus bill carrying a number of policy items that are also in other bills on the Governor’s desk.

9. MANY PROVISIONS OF THIS BILL vaccinations; the "Health Care Cost Reduction and Transparency Act"; palliative care; administrative rules regulating the construction of hospitals; certificates of need; MO HealthNet co-payments; MO HealthNet missed appointment fees; MO HealthNet reimbursement for certain health care providers; the Joint Committee on Public Assistance; the physical therapy compact; the nurse licensure compact; emergency supplies of medication; maintenance medication; medication synchronization; pharmacy benefit managers; insurance coverage for occupational therapy services; prescription eye drops; health care price transparency.

10. WAIT AND SEE ON THIS ONE SB 607 Sen. Sater this bill requires the Department of Social Services to contract with a third party to verify eligibility for public assistance programs awaits Governor’s action with amendments. SB 607 Reimbursement by MO Healthnet for CPT codes for behavioral, social, and psychophysiological services including psychologists. Establishes a committee for the purpose of studying, monitoring, and reviewing the efficacy of the 21 public assistance programs within the state.

11. MEDICAID EXPANSION NEVER AN ISSUE No bills filed by majority party members Senate remains the problem. Keep working, it has to be done. Reductions to DSH payments still coming.

12. MISSOURI HEALTH ADVOCACY ALLIANCE Brian Colby Director of Policy and Outreach bcolby@mohealthalliance.org