KMS Newsletters
January 21, 2023 Newsletter
Legislative Update
On Friday, the legislature wrapped up its second full week of the 2023 legislative session. Bill introductions continue at a brisk pace, and committees have begun the process of holding hearings, discussing issues and advancing legislation.
As always, there will be a large number of health-related issues which we anticipate will receive some legislative attention this session. Efforts by non-physician healthcare providers to expand scope of practice provisions will likely continue to be an issue. Though nothing has been introduced as yet, there have been some rumblings that the APRNs may introduce a bill to broaden their scope of practice beyond the prescribing of drugs and durable medical equipment, which was all that was specifically authorized by last year’s legislation. Additionally, the pharmacists are expected to seek legislation which would allow pharmacisy technicians to administer immunizations; and also to expand pharmacists’ authority to provide vaccines to patients down to age 6 years and older.
January 10, 2023 Newsletter
2023 Legislative Session Begins
Yesterday marked the start of the 2023 legislative session. As always, KMS will vigorously advocate for keeping the practice of medicine and surgery in physicians’ hands, and making the environment in which you practice medicine the best it can possibly be.
This session will undoubtedly produce several important health care discussions, which will be affected by new leadership in the House of Representatives, as well as some Senate changes brought on by recent resignations. Both chambers of the legislature will be led by Republican legislators from the Wichita area: Representative Dan Hawkins is the new speaker of the House of Representatives, and Senator Ty Masterson continues as Senate president. The House Health Committee will continue to be chaired by Representative Brenda Landwehr of Wichita, and the Senate Health Committee will have a new chair in Senator Beverly Gossage of Eudora, who was made committee chair following the resignation from the senate by Richard Hilderbrand of Baxter Springs, who was the main architect of the 2022 legislation which authorized APRNs to prescribe drugs without a physician’s written authorization.
