Legislative Updates

POSTED: May 28th, 2015
POSTED IN: Legislative Updates,

So the legislative session has come to an end in Missouri. Here is what passed and what didn’t.

What Passed

• Caps.  A two-tiered cap system passed with a 1.7% annual inflator. Bill was signed by the Governor.
• Board of Healing Arts. Bill allows the Board and other boards to issue non-binding opinions.  What this means is when a physician calls with a simple question about licensing, the Board can now answer it.
• Medicaid managed care expansion.  Some and children under fee-for-service will be moved to managed cared.
• Nurse and PA can now prescribe hydrocodone. They could always prescribe it when it was a schedule III but lost this ability when it was moved to a schedule II.

What Didn’t Pass

• Prescription drug monitoring.  Same hold up as before.  The Senator that is against this tried to pass his own version which was a bad bill which also did not pass.
• Epipens. Would have allowed restaurants and amusement parks to stock them.
• Expert witness. Would have changed the standard to align with federal standards
• Cannabidiol. Would have expanded who could prescribe it and for what disorders. Other medical marijuana bills also did not pass.
• Helmet repeal. Passed the House but died in the Senate.
• Car safety bills. Bill to increase seat belt fine failed as did bill to extend no texting and driving to people over 21