G ove r n men t Re lat ions
HB 125: Insurer Credentialing
Rep. Matt Baker (R-Bradford, Tioga, Potter) introduced HB 125,
which would require health care providers, including dentists, to
use the Council for Affordable Quality Health Care credentialing
application and for insurers to provide provisional credentialing
to eligible applicants if they fail to credential within 30 days of
having received the completed form.
Supporters for this legislation (including the PA Medical Society,
the Hospital and Health System Association of PA, the Coalition
of Nurse Practitioners, the PA Academy of Family Physicians and
the PA Association of Community Health Centers) contend that
physician practices, health centers and other providers regularly
face the situation where a newly-hired practitioner cannot be
reimbursed by insurers for months because of a cumbersome
credentialing process, which often results in the practitioners’
inability to work until they are properly credentialed.
Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks) introduced HB 396, legislation
intended to strengthen the Achieving Better Care by
Monitoring All Prescriptions Program (ABC-MAP) Act of 2014 by
requiring prescribers to query the Prescription Drug Monitoring
Program (PDMP) system every time they prescribe a controlled
substance to a patient. The current law only requires patients
to query the PDMP the first time they prescribe a new controlled
substance to a patient for purposes of establishing a baseline
and a thorough health record.
HB 396 has 32 cosponsors and was assigned to the House Human
Services Committee for first consideration. It was reported out
of committee in March.
HB 127: Placing Carfentanil on Schedule II List
HB 125 has 14 cosponsors and was assigned to the House
Health Committee for first consideration. It unanimously passed
the House of Representatives in May. Rep. Matt Baker (R-Bradford, Tioga, Potter) introduced HB 127,
legislation that would place the drug Carfentanil on the list of
Schedule II controlled substances so that it becomes illegal to
possess or distribute without a license or prescription.
HB 353: Electronic Prescription for Controlled Substances HB 127 has 18 cosponsors and is assigned to the House Judiciary
Committee for first consideration.
Rep. Tedd Nesbit (R-Butler, Mercer) introduced HB 353, legislation
that would require health care providers to use electronic
prescriptions to prescribe controlled substances. There is an
exemption for emergency situations. No prescription for a
controlled substance in Schedule II could be refilled. For
Schedule III or IV drugs no prescription could be filled or refilled
more than six months after the date or be refilled more than
five times after the date of the prescription, unless renewed by
the provider.
HB 353 has 22 cosponsors and is assigned to the House Health
Committee for first consideration.
HB 288: Coverage for Abuse-Deterrent Drugs
Rep. Doyle Heffley (R-Carbon) introduced HB 288, legislation
that requires health insurers to provide coverage for abuse-
deterrents if they also provide coverage for at least one opioid
analgesic drug product. The insurer cannot require an insured
or enrollee to first use an opioid analgesic drug product that
is not abuse-deterrent before providing coverage for an abuse-
deterrent opioid product. The insurer may apply utilization
review requirements, including prior authorization, to all opioid
analgesic drugs.
HB 288 has 17 cosponsors and is assigned to the House
Insurance Committee for first consideration.
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HB 396: Modifying Prescription Drug Monitoring Program
Requirements for Providers
MAY/JU NE 2017 | P EN N S YLVA N IA D EN TA L J O UR N A L
Budget Highlights
In February, Governor Wolf introduced his proposed budget for
fiscal year 2017-18, which begins July 1, 2017. Soon after, the
House and Senate Appropriations Committees conducted
hearings to question department heads about specific programs
and line-items in the budget proposal. In the spring, the
administration and legislature engaged in negotiations to fine
tune the budget, in hopes that they meet the constitutionally-
mandated deadline of July 1 for enactment.
PDA’s lobbyists and staff are closely monitoring budget
negotiations to ensure continuity of state funding for Dental
Lifeline Network’s Donated Dental Services program. Dental
Lifeline Network uses the state funding to employ two regional
coordinators who facilitate the program, linking eligible
patients with volunteer dentists and dental lab services. We are
also part of a broader coalition lobbying for a restitution of
funding to increase the number of covered services in the adult
Medical Assistance program.