|
SB 316 - This act modifies provisions of the law relating to health care providers and ambulatory medical treatment centers. The act modifies definitions for "ambulatory surgical center", "health care provider" and "financial data" in Section 192.665 and creates a new definition for "ambulatory medical treatment centers" in Section 197.200. New language in Sections 192.655 and 192.667, RSMo, changes "hospitals" to "health care providers" and includes hospitals and ambulatory medical treatment centers within the definition of "health care provider". Also, Section 197.200, RSMo, modifies the definition of "ambulatory surgical center" to provide that such centers shall be a subcategory of ambulatory medical treatment centers. Section 197.205 provides that the Department of Health and Senior Services may establish subcategories of licensure for the various types of ambulatory medical treatment centers. The annual license fee for applications is changed from two hundred dollars to a sufficient amount to be determined by the Department. All licenses fees shall be deposited in the "Ambulatory Medical Treatment Center Fund", which is created in the State Treasury (Section 197.210). The Department shall issue licenses to ambulatory medical treatment centers if they submit a working agreement with at least one hospital in the same community regarding emergency transfers and admittance of patients or if each member of the applicant’s surgical or medical staff has privileges in at least one hospital in the same community in which the treatment center is located. Such requirement will only apply to centers performing surgical procedures, childbirths, cardiac catheterization or endoscopy. If hospitals and ambulatory medical treatment centers are unable to negotiate a working agreement, then they must enter into binding arbitration based on the American Arbitration Association (Section 197.215). The regulations adopted by the Department of Health and Senior Services regarding ambulatory medical treatment centers must be consistent with Medicare or the joint commission on accreditation of health organizations participation and standards, which are developed by nationally recognized and accredited entities (Section 197.225). Section 197.230 requires the Department to conduct inspections of ambulatory medical treatment centers. The centers are to have the opportunity to use inspections from recognized accrediting organizations in lieu of state inspection and the department shall attempt to schedule inspections such that a ambulatory medical treatment center is not subject to more than one inspection in any twelve-month period. By July 1, 2006, the State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts shall promulgate guidelines and standards for the performance of office-based surgery. By January 15, 2007, the Board shall present a report to the Governor and the General Assembly addressing patient safety, trends regarding office-based surgery, and recommendations for legislative action (Section 1). The Act also creates a new section, 375.939, which prohibits a health care provider, as defined in Section 376.1350, RSMo, from eliminating the need for or waiving insurance copayments. ADRIANE CROUSE
|
