ACR continues to review radiology-specific bills in states and how they fared this year. There are still a few states still in session so it is still important for state radiological chapters to stay aware of what is happening in their states.
Scope of Practice
Alaska
Senate Bill (SB) 89 failed to advance in committee. This bill would have permitted independent practice by physician assistants (PAs) after 4,000 hours of practice.
Arkansas
House Bill (HB) 1134 was withdrawn from consideration by the bill author. It would have enrolled Arkansas into the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Compact. This compact allows APRNs who meet eligibility requirements to practice in other compact states.
HB 1244 died in committee. This bill would have reduced the number of hours certified nurse practitioners (CNPs), and clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) need to practice independently from 6,240 hours to 2,000 hours.
Florida
HB 1341 failed to advance. It would have prohibited non-physician practitioners (NPPs) from using specialist titles unless formally recognized.
SB 1540 died in committee. It would have allowed PAs to practice independently in a rural area after completing 3,000 clinical practice hours in the past five years.
Mississippi
SB 2673 died in committee. It would have allowed a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) who completed 8,000 clinical practice hours to practice independently.
New Jersey
AB 944 is awaiting action in the House Assembly Health Committee. If passed, this bill would eliminate certain practice restrictions for advanced practice nurses, including the requirement to have collaborative agreements with physicians.
New Hampshire
SB 285 was signed into law by Governor Ayotte. The law changes the title of “physician assistant” to “physician associate.”
Medicaid Payment
Connecticut
SB 171 failed to advance in committee. This bill would have required the Connecticut Commissioner of Social Services to raise Medicaid payment rates for radiological services.
Out-of-Network/Surprise/Balance Billing
Connecticut
SB 454 died in committee. It would have allowed covered persons to terminate coverage and procure alternate health insurance without penalty when such covered person’s healthcare provider(s) are designated out of network.
Prior Authorization
South Carolina
S 443 is awaiting action by the Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance. If passed, this bill would prohibit any action concerning healthcare coverage decisions that have been made solely based on results derived from the use or application of AI or automated decision-making tools. This bill would also require a healthcare professional to supervise and meaningfully review any coverage decisions made using automated decision-making tools when those tools are used to inform decisions to modify or deny requests by providers for prior authorization.
Texas
HB 4635 died in committee. This bill would have required an insurer or HMO that denied a claim based on a determination made by AI to provide the claimant with notice of the denial in a written disclosure that states the denial was by AI and instructions on how to appeal the denial.
For more information about these bills or any additional state legislative information, contact Dillon Harp, ACR Senior State Government Relations Specialist.
