Rachelle Colombo; KMS Director of Government Affairs
The legislature officially adjourned its regular session on Thursday, April 2, leaving many major policy questions unanswered until the Veto Session begins at the end of the month. Though both chambers have developed a budget bill, only the Senate has passed the measure, sending the discussion to a conference committee. In conference, House and Senate negotiators are tasked with establishing provisions acceptable to a majority of both legislative bodies. In addition to the remaining work on a budget bill, revenue enhancements (tax increases) may also be needed to support major state financial obligations. House and Senate tax committees have held hearings throughout the session on a number of tax policy proposals, but neither body has formally engaged in debate on the subject yet. While sometimes slated only for consideration of measures vetoed by the Governor, the Veto Session beginning April 27 will be fully focused on budget and tax negotiations and any other lingering priorities.
Although several serious issues remain before the legislature, many others are resolved or otherwise dormant. The APRN independent practice bills, and the Certified Nurse Midwives' independent practice proposal, both having failed to advance from committee and receive a majority vote of the House or Senate, cannot emerge from this point forward. Groups like Americans for Prosperity (AFP) urging the legislature to open up the practice of medicine to non-physicians as a means to encourage "free-market entrepreneurs" have added complexity and heavy political undertones to this issue. AFP claims the Affordable Care Act necessitates enabling midlevel providers to function as primary care providers to meet increasing demand and to encourage economic growth. In truth, Kansas law already provides the flexibility necessary for APRNs and other providers to practice quasi-independently in urban and rural areas without compromising education and training standards or quality care for patients. Regardless, the nationwide push from AFP and the nurses will continue and the issue will likely resurface before the Kansas Legislature next session.
SB 285 is a follow-up to the Board of Healing Arts comprehensive modernization act passed last year, inserting non-controversial, uniform standards and disciplinary language across the 13 professions it licenses, while updating numerous regulations. SB 285 was added to Senate Sub for HB 2225 in committee. The bill includes a KMS-authored amendment establishing a special permit for students having graduated from the KU School Of Medicine that do not match with an approved residency training program. With a special permit, these individuals may practice under a supervising physician in a medically underserved area, and will be granted limited prescribing authority. The permits are valid for one year and may be renewed once. The measure was agreed to and passed the full Senate without opposition and moves to the House for a final vote before being sent to the Governor for signature.
The federal government's effort to overhaul the American health care system has greatly impacted the political landscape nationwide and here in Kansas. Five years after its enactment, the Affordable Care Act remains a very polarizing, contentious issue and it has been a formidable obstacle to passing Medicaid expansion in our state. The Kansas Hospital Association, with support from virtually the entire health care community, continues to push for expansion and it is possible that it could become entangled in the already difficult budget and tax issues that await legislators when they return to Topeka on April 27 to complete their work.
KMS remains focused on protecting the highest quality care for patients across the state by keeping the practice of medicine in physicians' hands. Thank you for engaging on the policy issues that shape your practice and for advocating with one voice on behalf of Kansas physicians and their patients.
If you have further comments or questions pertaining to legislative matters, please contact KMS Director of Government Affairs, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..