HB 2071 Summary

• Physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants may prescribe, administer, or dispense long-term antibiotic therapy (more than 19 weeks) for Lyme disease based on clinical diagnosis alone or combined with supporting test data.

• Clinical diagnosis may be based on medical history and physical examination only, without requiring specific laboratory test confirmation.

• Lyme disease definition includes acute infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, late-stage or chronic infection, complications from such infections, and infections with other Borrelia strains recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Diagnosis includes clinical presentations that do not meet CDC surveillance criteria but present other acute and chronic signs or symptoms of Lyme disease as determined by the treating provider.

• Healthcare providers must document the clinical diagnosis and treatment in the patient's medical record.