Current Legislative Bills

Legislative Session 2021-2022

SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST
H2386/S1489 - An Act Relative to Improving Outcomes for Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Summary: 
Cardiac Arrest most common cause of death outside the hospital. Massachusetts survival trails most places because of delayed and low bystander CPR and low access to defibrillators.
https://trackbill.com/bill/massachusetts-senate-docket-343-an-act-relative-to-improving-outcomes-for-sudden-cardiac-arrest/2006073/

1.Improve Telephone assisted CPR timing and Quality
2.Improve Defibrillator signage and registration
3.Add Emergency Physicians to 911 advisory Board
4.Add EMT’s to 911 advisory board
5.Make Sudden Cardiac Arrest a reportable disease to create state data to track and improve performance

Sudden Cardiac Arrest Legislation in Massachusetts to save 500 lives in Massachusetts every year!

Commonwealth Magazine article on Massachusetts Legislation
https://commonwealthmagazine.org/opinion/bystander-cpr-key-to-surviving-cardiac-arrest/

Public Service Announcement on what to do when someone collapses
https://www.wccatv.com/video/specials/PSACPRAWARENESSTRAINING

Center for Disease Control Registry for Enhanced Cardiac Arrest Survival
https://mycares.net/sitepages/aboutcares.jsp

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H2386 
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S1489

OON
 
HD521 - An Act to protect consumers from surprise billing
Sponsor:   Rep. Paul J. Donato (D)
Summary: Directs the Health Policy Commission to recommend noncontracted commercial rates for emergency and non-emergency services; requires consideration of various factors, including the rate impact on total health care expenditures, the rate impact on premiums, the rate impact on in-network participation by health care providers and ease of understanding; requires submission of the recommendation to the division of insurance for approval; requires a public hearing prior to making rate recommendations.
 
Prohibits insurance coverage offered by the group insurance commission for public employees (GL Chapter 32A) from providing coverage or reimbursement for a facility fee for services utilizing a current procedural terminology evaluation and management code; prohibits hospitals or health systems from charging, billing or collecting a facility fee for services utilizing a current procedural terminology evaluation and management code or other current procedural terminology code; prohibits hospitals and health systems from increasing other fees to offset the loss of revenue resulting from this ban on facility fees; defines efforts to impose the fee or increase rates as an unfair trade practice.
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/HD571
 
HD1278 - An Act to protect consumers from surprise billing
Sponsor:              Rep. Paul J. Donato (D)
Summary: Directs the Health Policy Commission to recommend noncontracted commercial rates for emergency and non-emergency services.
 Additionally regulates insurance payments made for emergency care; requires payment of health care providers who are in-network but who are not part of the patient’s benefit plan at the in-network rate; requires payment of healthcare providers who are out-of-network at the noncontracted commercial rate; defines such payments as payments in full, and prohibits additional charges other than any applicable copayment, coinsurance or deductible; further regulates payments made insurance carriers by in-network and out-of-network health care provider who provide non-emergency care; defines requires for charges beyond an applicable copayment, coinsurance or deductible as a deceptive business practice; specifically permits charges for services not covered by plan benefits; allows insurers to decline coverage for non-emergency health care services when the insured had a reasonable opportunity to obtain services from a network provider.
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/HD1278
 
SD1253 - An Act relative to out-of-network billing
Sponsor:  Sen. Cindy Friedman (D)
Summary:  Directs the Health Policy Commission to recommend noncontracted commercial rates for emergency and non-emergency services; requires consideration of various factors, including the rate impact on total health care expenditures, the rate impact on premiums, the rate impact on in-network participation by health care providers, and ease of understanding; requires submission of the recommendation to the division of insurance for approval; requires a public hearing prior to making rate recommendations.
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/SD1253
 
HD3372/SD2149 - An Act Relative to Out-of-Network Billing
Sponsor: Rep. Jon Santiago (D), Sen Adam Gomez
Summary: MMS bill to codify federal OON law into state statute, with modifications to IDR and non-emergency notice provisions
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/HD3372
 
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
HD3658 - An Act relative to transparency in behavioral health boarding
Sponsor: Rep. Marjorie Decker (D)
Summary:  This would create an online portal and real-time reporting of children and adolescent boarding.
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/HD3658

SD1565 - An Act removing preauthorization requirements for mental health acute treatment
Sponsor: Sen. Cindy Friedman (D)
Summary:  Requires contributory group insurance coverage for public employees (GL 32A), the division of medical assistance (GL 118E), health insurance (GL 175), non-profit hospital service corporations (GL 176A), medical service corporations (GL 176B), and health maintenance organizations (GL 176G) to provide coverage for medically necessary mental health acute treatment for up to 14 days, without requiring a preauthorization prior to obtaining treatment; requires coverage of medically necessary community based acute treatment services for up to 21  days, and medically necessary intensive community based acute treatment services for up to 14 days.
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/SD1565
 
LICENSURE/CONTRACTING/MISC
HD2761 - An Act permitting ambulances to transport patients to urgent care centers
Sponsor:              Rep. Leonard Mirra (R)
Summary:           Amends GL 111C:2 (Statewide EMS System) to, in situations determined non-emergent, permit the transportation of patients directly to a clinic, as defined in GL 111:52, including an urgent care center, instead of an emergency department.
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/HD2761
GAC – OPPOSE. FALLON AMBULANCE OPPOSES TOO. LIABILITY CONCERNS.
 
HD3144 - An Act relative to greater fairness in insurance
Sponsor:   Rep. Claire Cronin (D)
Summary: Amends GL c.175 (Insurance) by adding new provisions that establish that if a policy, contract, certificate, or agreement offered, issued, delivered, or renewed, provides life insurance, health insurance, annuities, accident insurance, long term care insurance, or disability insurance coverage for any Massachusetts resident and contains a provision that reserves the discretionary authority to the insurer to determine eligibility for benefits or coverage, to interpret the terms of the policy, contract, certificate, or agreement, or to provide standards of interpretation or review that are inconsistent with the laws of the Commonwealth, that provision is to be void and unenforceable.
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/HD3144

HD3380/SD1220- An Act to Ensure Timely Physician Licensure
Sponsor:  Rep. Jon Santiago (D), Sen Adam Hinds
Summary:  Amends GL 112:2 (Registration of Physicians) to require the Board of Registration in Medicine to ensure that applications for registration as a physician are reviewed and processed within 90 days from the date of submission; further provides that, if the Board has not made a determination on a physicians' application for a renewal of the certificate of registration within 90 days from the submission of a renewal application, the Board shall issue a temporary registration to said the physician.
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/HD3380
 
SD1356 - An Act relative to medical civil rights
Sponsor: Sen. William N. Brownsberger (D)
Summary: This first in the country legislation would establish a right in Massachusetts law for person who is under the control of law enforcement to have access to emergency medical services when that person is experiencing an emergency medical condition or when medically unstable. These protections apply both to physical and behavioral health conditions.
While the law currently provides protections to person who is incarcerated or otherwise formally
detained, this bill would extend protections in current situations where the law does not clearly
establish a right to care, such as interactions prior to arrest where a person nonetheless feels that they
are under the control of law enforcement.
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/SD1356