THE ELEVENTH HOUR
Frank Burns , MD
Wow ! That was my reaction to the last day , last hour and last minute passage of Senate Bill 18 , the “ Fair Contracting ” Bill on Friday , April 15 . It was the icing on the cake to one of the most successful Legislative Sessions for physicians in our state in recent memory . There were many victories during the session but the passage of Senate Bill 18 was the culmination of years of intense effort on the part of GLMS and KMA physicians . There were many moving parts to the passage of this bill , which I will summarize along with a description of several other bills , all of which will have a significant impact on patient care and the practice of medicine in Kentucky .
Before discussing the dramatic passage of Senate Bill 18 , let ’ s take a look at other bills that were passed during the 2016 Legislative Session .
SENATE BILL 17 : MAINTENANCE OF CERTIFICATION / LICENSURE
Senate Bill 17 was sponsored by Senators Ralph Alvarado , MD , and Damon Thayer . This bill prohibits the state from requiring initial board certification or recertification in order for physicians to obtain or retain a medical license in Kentucky . It originated from a resolution submitted to the KMA House of Delegates by GLMS . Senator Alvarado originally introduced the bill in the 2015 Legislative Session . The Senate leadership had questions regarding the purpose of the bill and so it failed to make it out of committee . There was a recommitment on the part of the KMA , GLMS and Senator Alvarado during the interim to do a better job of educating legislators about the purpose of the bill . We concentrated on pointing out that board certification in a specialty is , and always has been , voluntary in Kentucky . Thanks to hard work by KMA lobbyist Cory Meadows , and key testimony by GLMS member , Dr . Julie Lee , the bill passed out of the Senate License Occupation and Administrative Regulation Committee . The Senate subsequently passed the bill unanimously . The House Health and Welfare Committee passed the bill , which then unanimously passed the entire House on March 24 . The Governor signed this bill into law on April 8 .
SENATE BILL 19 : STATE LICENSURE BOARD APPOINTMENTS
Senate Bill 19 , also sponsored by Sen . Alvarado , stipulates that appointments for the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure shall come from names submitted by the KMA . The passage of this bill in essence restores a right which the KMA had previously . This
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