CS for CS for SB 212 - Health Care Summary

• Establishes a joint state and local dental care access account initiative to support dentists practicing in dental health professional shortage areas or medically underserved areas, with state awards of $10,000-$100,000 per dentist not to exceed 3 times local contributions.

• Requires ambulatory surgical centers to provide services to Medicare, Medicaid, and charity care patients at rates equal to district averages, report data equivalent to hospitals, and comply with hospital building and lifesafety codes if patients stay past midnight.

• Creates direct primary care agreements as non-insurance arrangements between primary care providers and patients, exempt from insurance code requirements, with specified written agreement terms including scope, fees, termination rights, and refund provisions.

• Grants prescribing physicians the right to request 24-hour overrides of fail-first drug protocols used by managed care plans, insurers, and health maintenance organizations based on clinical evidence of ineffectiveness or risk of harm.

• Extends sovereign immunity to employees and agents of health care providers delivering services under contracts with government entities, and adds pharmacists to the definition of health care providers eligible for such immunity.