From The State Capitols: Birth Control Expansion; Surprise ER Bills; Hospital Restrictions; And Medical Marijuana
State legislature news comes from Iowa, California, Georgia and New Hampshire.
Iowa Public Radio:
Governor's Proposal To Expand Birth Control Access Gets Initial Approval From Lawmakers
The bill would allow Iowans to get birth control pills and some other forms of contraception directly from a pharmacist without visiting a clinic first. Patients would have to complete a health screening, and pharmacists could refer them to a doctor if there are any concerns. (Sostaric, 2/26)
KQED:
State Lawmakers Push To End Surprise Emergency Room Bills
Assemblyman David Chiu and state Sen. Scott Wiener, both of San Francisco, announced a bill Monday that would prevent public hospitals from charging emergency room patients whose insurance won't cover their medical bills. This practice is called “balance billing,” and according to Chiu, it’s costing Californians thousands of dollars. Even if a patient has private insurance, an ambulance might transport them to an out-of-network hospital that doesn’t accept it — like Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. (Champlin, 2/26)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Georgia Bill Would Take Reins Off Private Health Facilities
The House Special Committee on Access to Quality Health Care easily approved House Bill 198. It is the broadest of several bills under discussion in the Legislature this year to ease the regulation called Certificate of Need, or CON. (Hart, 2/26)
Sacramento Bee:
California Single Payer Healthcare Backers Miss Bill Deadline
Many California Democrats say they support single-payer health care, but none introduced a new version of the state’s landmark single-payer bill before a key deadline last week. Stephanie Roberson, a lobbyist for the California Nurses Association, said the union was in talks with Sen. Mike McGuire about running a bill this year, but those discussions fell through. (Bollag, 2/27)
New Hampshire Public Radio:
N.H. House Committee Moves Forward Bill That Would Allow Medical Marijuana Patients To Grow At Home
A New Hampshire House subcommittee today voted unanimously to support a bill that would allow medical marijuana patients to grow their own cannabis. The bill would make it legal for qualified patients and caregivers to cultivate three mature plants and twelve seedlings, provided they're secured with a lock or other security device. (Garrova, 2/26)
