Bill Summary for H 106 (2019-2020)

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Summary date: 

Apr 26 2019

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2019-2020 Session
House Bill 106 (Public) Filed Tuesday, February 19, 2019
AN ACT TO IMPROVE INMATE HEALTH CARE REIMBURSEMENT AND INTERNAL PROCESSES AND TO ESTABLISH A TELEMEDICINE PILOT PROGRAM; IN ADDITION TO DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO PARTNER WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FOR THE PURCHASE OF CERTAIN MEDICATIONS FOR INMATES, TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO ISSUE REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS FOR PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN NORTH CAROLINA 340B PROGRAM ENTITIES AND THE FOUR NORTH CAROLINA PRISON REGIONS, TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO PARTNER WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA HEALTH SYSTEM TO SHIFT PRESCRIBING AUTHORITY ON CERTAIN MEDICATIONS, AND TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO SUBMIT VARIOUS REPORTS TO THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE FISCAL RESEARCH DIVISION.
Intro. by Horn, Farmer-Butterfield, Lucas, R. Turner.

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Bill summary

House committee substitute to the 2nd edition makes the following changes. 

Adds to the content of the Department of Public Safety's (DPS) a plan to increase the use of Central Prison Healthcare Complex (CPHC) to require the inclusion of methods to contain costs for palliative and long-term health care services for inmates. No longer requires DPS to identify and eliminate lapsed salary positions used to fund inmate health care services for 2016-17, and transfer the salary funds to a DPS, Health Services Section (HSS), budget code. Instead, requires DPS to develop options for eliminating the structural deficit for inmate health care services, including consideration of eliminating vacant positions and transferring lapsed salary funds to the Health Services Section. No longer requires DPS to develop accounting mechanisms for inmate health care expenditures at the prison facility level. 

Amends GS 143B-707.3 as follows. Requires any contracts and extensions for medical services provided to inmates by contracted providers and facilities to include the specified reimbursement rates, unless greater cost savings can be demonstrated through the use of an alternative rate. Deletes proposed (b1), which required the development of an electronic supply inventory management system. Instead adds a section to the bill requiring the HHS to issue two requests for proposals to develop an electronic supply inventory management system, with one RFP or a system to be used at all prison facilities and one to be for a system to be used exclusively at the Central Prison Healthcare Complex and the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women. Sets out requirements of the management system.

Adds the requirement that the Department of Public Safety, Health Services Section, report to the specified NCGA committees by February 1, 2020, on alternative methods for reimbursing providers and facilities that provide approved medical services to inmates. 

Amends proposed GS 143B-707.5 to make the policies and training more specifically applicable to social workers who perform administrative activities related to Medicaid eligibility for inmates.

Adds the requirement that HHS report to the specified NCGA committees on the feasibility study of telehealth services referenced in the February 2019 Memorandum of Agreement between DPS and UNC Health Care by July 1, 2019. Requires that the telemedicine pilot program be established with consideration of the rules of the study. Requires the pilot program to be operational by January 1, 2020 (was, October 1, 2019). Deletes the requirement that physical health services covered by the telemedicine pilot include evaluation and management activities in the specified areas. Extends the due dates of the interim and final reports on the pilot assessment criteria from October to January of 2020 and 2021.