MEDICAL RECORDS:

For the purposes of furnishing a copy of a patient's health history or health care records upon request, such request may be satisfied if a statement or record is returned that no such health history or treatment record responsive to the request exists. (Section 191.227)

This provision is identical to a provision in the truly agreed to CCS/HCS/SCS/SB 718 (2018), the truly agreed to CCS/HCS/SS/SCSSB 826 (2018), and substantially similar to a provision in the truly agreed to CCS/HCS/SB 951 (2018).

ASSISTANT PHYSICIANS:

This act changes the examination requirement for an assistant physician to require that an assistant physician complete Step 2 instead of Step 1 and Step 2, of the United States Medical Licensing Examination within a three-year period before applying for licensure but in no event more than three years after graduation from a medical college.

The act allows an assistant physician to provide primary care or mental health services, rather than only primary care services, in specified locations.

The act requires that an assistant physician licensure fee cannot be more than the licensure fee for a physician assistant. Additionally, no rules can require an assistant physician to complete more hours of continuing medical education than a licensed physician.

The act repeals the requirement that an assistant physician has to enter into a collaborative practice agreement within six months of initial licensure.

A health carrier shall reimburse an assistant physician on the same basis that it covers a service when it is provided by another comparable mid-level provider.

No rule or regulation shall require the collaborating physician to review more than ten percent of the assistant physician's patient charts or records during the one-month period that the physician is continuously present while the assistant physician is practicing medicine.

An assistant physician may prescribe buprenorphine for up to a 30-day supply without refill in certain circumstances. (Sections 334.036 & 334.037)

These provisions are similar to provisions in the truly agreed to CCS/HCS/SCS/SB 718 (2018), the truly agreed to CCS/HCS/SB 951 (2018), SB 1055 (2018), SCS/HCS/HB 1574 (2018), and HCS/HB 2233 (2018).

COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE AND SUPERVISORY AGREEMENTS: Current law authorizes physicians to enter into a collaborative practice agreement with 3 advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) and a supervising agreement with 3 licensed physician assistants. This act authorizes physicians to enter into a collaborative practice agreement or a supervising agreement with 6 APRNs or licensed physician assistants, or any combination thereof.

Current law also states that a physician and a physician assistant in a supervisory agreement shall practice no further than 50 miles by road from each other. This act repeals the 50 mile limitation and states that the physician assistant shall practice within a geographic proximity to be determined by the Board of Registration for the Healing Arts.

No supervision requirements in addition to the minimum federal law shall be required for a physician-physician assistant team working in a certified community behavioral health clinic or a federally qualified health center.

Advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants may prescribe buprenorphine for up to a 30-day supply without refill in certain circumstances. (Sections 334.104, 334.735, & 334.747)

These provisions are similar to provisions in the truly agreed to CCS/HCS/SCS/SB 718 (2018), the truly agreed to CCS/HCS/SB 951 (2018), SCS/SB 745 (2018), SCS/HCS/HB 1574 (2018), HB 244 (2017), and HB 1697 (2016).

RADIOLOGIC IMAGING AND RADIATION THERAPY LICENSURE:

After January 1, 2019, this act requires licensure by the State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts in order to perform radiologic imaging or radiation therapy procedures on humans for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. The act authorizes the Board to establish licensure and scope of practice standards for any person performing nuclear medicine technology, radiation therapy, radiography, and radiologist assistant procedures and to limited x-ray machine operators.

The act creates the Radiologic Imaging and Radiation Therapy Advisory Committee, which shall guide, advise, and make recommendations to the Board in matters relating to radiologic imaging and radiation therapy.

The Board has the power to: promulgate rules for the issuance of licenses, charge and collect fees, promulgate rules and procedures for the denial, suspension, revocation, or refusal to renew a license, create alternative licensure requirements for remote areas of the state, and other actions as described in the act.

A licensee who violates any provision of the act shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. The Board may assess a civil penalty after factors set forth in the act are considered.

Someone currently engaged in the practice of radiologic imaging and radiation therapy may be exempted from the licensure requirement, if he or she complies with specific requirements as described in the act. (Sections 334.1000-334.1030)

These provisions are similar to SCS/SB 926 (2018), HB 2468 (2018), SCS/SB 407 (2017), HB 789 (2017), HB 601 (2017), SB 1114 (2016), and HB 2613 (2016).

PSYCHOLOGISTS:

This act provides that a doctoral degree in psychology from a program accredited, or provisionally accredited, by the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System is acceptable to meet various requirements for licensure as a psychologist if the degree program meets certain requirements as set forth in the act. (Sections 337.025, 337.029, & 337.033)

These provisions are identical to provisions contained in: HCS/SB 796 (2018), the truly agreed CCS/HCS/SB 951 (2018), the truly agreed CCS/HCS/SB 660 (2018), the truly agreed CCS/SS/SCS/HB 1719 (2018), SCS/HB 1419 (2018), and SCS/HB 1629 (2018).

MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS: The act adds psychiatric physician assistants, psychiatric advanced practice registered nurses, and psychiatric assistant physicians to the definition of mental health professionals for the purposes of provisions of law relating to alcohol and drug abuse and comprehensive psychiatric services and adds a definition for each term. (Section 632.005)

This provision is identical to a provision contained in the truly agreed CCS/SS/SCS/HB 1719 (2018), the truly agreed CCS/HCS/SB 951 (2018), the truly agreed CCS/HCS/SB 660 (2018), and similar to HB 2295 (2018).

JAMIE ANDREWS