We are currently on Day 71 of a 90-day Legislative Session. General bills have been considered by both chambers and will return to the chamber of origination for concurrence (the other chamber agrees) or conference (members of the two chambers must hammer out a compromise).
The Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians Advocacy Committee has worked all session to ensure legislation considered is in the best interest of our patients and our members. As we enter the last weeks of the 2021 Legislative Session, we are working on getting several key pieces of legislation across the finish line and on the Governor’s desk.
MEDICAID TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS BILL: Every few years, this legislation reauthorizes the Division of Medicaid and establishes how Medicaid operates. On Friday, both Medicaid Technical Amendments Bills died on the opposite chambers' calendars. While this is not an unprecedented situation, it definitely complicates matters regarding this bill. We are working with legislative and healthcare leaders to determine how to best address this issue so that Medicaid is reauthorized and funded for FY 2022. As of Tuesday, both chambers have passed a measure allowing for the drafting of a new Medicaid technical amendments bill.
TELEMEDICINE PARITY BILL: The MAFP has been following telemedicine parity payments since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis. During the 2021 Legislative Session, as multiple bills were introduced to address telemedicine, the MAFP was contacted by House Insurance Vice Chairman Kevin Ford to help address issues within the telemedicine bill that had already passed the Senate. We are proud that medicine has shared goals of ensuring parity, but the MAFP is committed to payment parity and patient safety.
In addition to working toward payment parity, the MAFP is working to ensure patient safety by not allowing for the establishment of the physician-patient relationship through an audio-only phone call and the possibility of at least one in-person consultation during a year period for certain conditions. Telemedicine should be a tool used by a physician; it shouldn't become the primary method of treating patients. We look forward to continuing to work with all stakeholders to ensure the best piece of legislation for physicians and patients. The telemedicine bills are SB 2631 (a conference committee will be chosen) and HB 1205 (bill is on the House concurrence calendar facing a Friday, Mar. 19 deadline).
FUNDING BILLS: We are watching the appropriation bills for the Mississippi State Department of Health, the Division of Medicaid, Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Fund, and the Office of Physician Workforce.
