Expands eligibility for appointment to county boards of health and health services advisory boards to include nurse practitioners and physician assistants; expands to residents in the county or residents of a contiguous county who have a background in a health-related field and perform substantial work in the county associated with their health-related background.
Relates to the commercial display of human remains; requires the department of health to implement a permit process for anyone displaying human remains for payment or other consideration; exempts remains more than 100 years old, consisting solely of human hair or teeth, part of the ordinary display at a funeral establishment or memorial, an object of religious veneration, consisting solely of bodies transported into and remaining in the state for display prior to the effective date of this section, in the possession of a museum facility or those remains represented by an entity that has displayed human remains in the state for at least three of the last ten years whether or not such display was in operation at the time of the effective date of this article.
Establishes the "Safe Staffing for Hospital Care Act"; establishes minimum staffing levels for various health care workers in different health care facilities; requires submission of staffing plans; prohibits most mandatory overtime.
Authorizes the commissioner of health to make grants to not-for-profit organizations and elementary, secondary and postsecondary schools to be used to help pay for the costs of conducting local blood drives.
Authorizes patients to designate an essential visitor who may assist the patient and perform certain duties on behalf of the patient, including communicating with facility staff regarding the needs of the patient, providing emotional stability and company, and requesting additional care or a change in the care plan.
Establishes the office of hospice and palliative care access and quality to provide expertise and input on hospice and palliative care policy development and regulation.
Relates to pharmacy services provided by managed care providers; requires pharmacy benefit managers and managed care providers to reimburse retail pharmacies for each outpatient drug, at the National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC); repeals related provisions.
Relates to certain prohibitions in contracts or agreements by health maintenance organizations; prohibits clauses which entitle reimbursement at the lowest price or rate; prohibits contracts which restrict referral of patients based solely upon a health care provider's status with a managed care product; prohibits contracts which allow for the substitution of a pharmaceutical drug or agent by any person other than the prescribing health care professional.
Expands coverage for pregnant and postpartum individuals and their children; establishes a health expense account program for pregnant and postpartum individuals; requires the creation of informative pamphlets on maternal depression.
Relates to establishing a remote maternal health services pilot program for Medicaid recipients; provides that such program shall be established during fiscal years 2024-2025, 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to provide: remote maternal health services to eligible Medicaid recipients, medically necessary remote maternal health services to such eligible recipients for up to 12 months postpartum and payment to healthcare providers who provide remote maternal health services.
Requires a verification organization to declare each service or item to be verified or unverified within thirty days of receiving all required supporting documentation from a participating provider.
Provides for the designation by a general hospital of persons to identify infectious disease processes, conduct surveillance and epidemiologic investigations, and develop plans to prevent and control the transmission of infectious agents within general hospitals.