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Legislative Wrap-Up Report
As presented by FOCUS Government Affairs
Lobbyists for the Fairfield County Medical Association
The Connecticut General Assembly gaveled in for the 2024 legislative session on February 7th and adjourned at 11:59pm on May 8th. Over the five-month stretch, legislators saw 1484 bills introduced and only 176 bills make it across the finish line. Overall, this session had robust public health legislation at the top of the agenda. S.B. 1, a major Senate priority and 45 page bill, passed through both chambers and will have many impacts on the public health, and healthcare field.
S.B. 1
An Act Concerning the Health and Safety of Connecticut Residents
Status: Awaiting Governor’s Signature
Senate Bill 1, an extensive public health legislation spearheaded by Senator Saud Anwar, MD and
supported by Senate Democrats, received bipartisan approval in both legislative chambers. The 45-page bill encompasses a wide array of provisions aimed at enhancing and exploring different ways to improve the health and safety of residents in the State. Among its numerous components, the bill includes but is not limited to the following:·
● Physician Recruitment and Retention
○ Creates a physician recruitment working group to study issues related to primary care residency and keeping those physicians in the state.
● Unionization of Physicians
○ The bill removes a current exemption from the state Labor Relations Act for physicians or PAs who are employed by a DPH-licensed institution. Under current law, private-sector DPH-licensed institutions are subject to this act for most of their employees except for physicians and PAs. By removing this exemption, the bill allows these providers to unionize in certain limited situations when they cannot under current law.
● Various provisions for home health safety including collecting information for client intake and conducting training, assessments and safety checks for agencies.
○ Requires DSS to create a two-year grant program for home health agencies to provide safety
escorts and purchase technology to promote safety.
● Limitations on maintenance of certification
○ Generally prohibits certain health carriers from (1) denying reimbursement or excluding a
provider from a network due to the provider’s non-participation in an MOC program, or (2) requiring this participation as a condition of professional liability insurance.
● Health Information Exchange
○ Sets a new deadline for health care providers to connect to and actively participate in the Statewide Health Insurance Exchange, to within 18 months after OHS implements the exchange’s policies and procedures.
○ Makes a few exemptions:
1. If a provider has no patient medical records
2. Specifies, when providers are or are not liable for certain actions related to data security
3. Specifies certain circumstances under which providers are not required to share information with the exchange
● Creates DPH working group for:
○ Staff safety issues for home health agencies
○ Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
○ Health issues for nail salon workers
○ Loneliness and isolation.
● Gun Safety Educational Material at primary care visits
○ Requires DPH to develop or obtain education materials on gun safety for primary care providers to pass onto to their patients. Material must be available annually.
● Opioid Deactivation and Disposal Systems
○ Allows pharmacists to give the patient information on personal opioid drug deactivation and
disposal. Also requires DMHAS to post the information to their website, and to study long-term
payment options for these systems.
● Insurance Coverage of Coronary Calcium Scans
○ Requires certain insurance policies to cover coronary calcium scans.
● Prior authorization data collection
○ Allows hospitals, outpatient surgical facilities, and physician group practices to record and
keep data on the time an employee spends requesting prior authorization.
● Credentialing
○ Prevents hospitals and their medical review committees from requiring physicians to provide
credentials of board certification for privileges until five years after becoming board eligible,
and also prohibits requiring board recertification credentials to acquire or retain privileges to
practice in the hospital.
Bill for Reference: https://cga.ct.gov/2024/amd/S/pdf/2024SB-00001-R00SB-AMD.pdf#page19
OLR Report: https://cga.ct.gov/2024/BA/PDF/2024SB-00001-R01-BA.PDF#page19
H.B. 5198
An Act Concerning Telehealth
Status: Awaiting for Governor's Signature
This bill makes certain temporary expanded requirements for telehealth service delivery and insurance coverage permanent
Among other things, these provisions include:
1. Allowing authorized telehealth providers to use audio-only telephone to provide services;
2. Allowing authorized providers to provide telehealth services from any location to patients at
any location, subject to applicable state and federal requirements
3. Prohibiting providers from charging uninsured patients more than the Medicare reimbursement rate for telehealth services
4. Prohibiting health carriers (e.g., insurers and HMOs) from reducing the amount of reimbursement they pay to telehealth providers for covered services appropriately provided through telehealth instead of in-person.
Among other changes, the bill also expands the list of authorized telehealth providers to include all Connecticut licensed health care providers and pharmacists.
Bill for reference: https://cga.ct.gov/2024/FC/PDF/2024HB-05198-R000641-FC.PDF
OLR Report: https://cga.ct.gov/2024/BA/PDF/2024HB-05198-R010641-BA.PDF
H.B. 5290
An Act Concerning the Department of Public Health’s Recommendations Regarding Various Revisions to the Public Health Statutes
Status: Awaiting Governor’s Signature
This bill makes a variety of significant and minor updates to laws and statutes associated with the
Department of Public Health (DPH) and other health-related regulations Including:
● Allowing APRNs meeting certain training, experience, and examination requirements to use fluoroscopy for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, if they do so in collaboration with a physician trained in radiation protection, and while wearing a radiation safety badge
● Requiring DPH to conduct a scope of practice review on whether naturopathic physicians should be
allowed to prescribe, dispense, and administer prescription medication and if so, whether DPH
should establish qualifications for this or develop a naturopathic formulary
● Streamlines the process for dentists seeking a moderate sedation or general anesthesia permit
for multiple locations after they have been approved for one location; requires DPH to post online
a list of required equipment, personnel, and emergency medications for dental locations that administer moderate or deep sedation or anesthesia; and makes other changes to this permit process
● Moves up by one year the deadline for OHS to create a working group to make recommendations on the regulations, policies, and procedures related to participation in the Statewide Health Information Exchange (“Connie”)
Bill for Reference: https://cga.ct.gov/2024/TOB/H/PDF/2024HB-05290-R02-HB.PDF
OLR Report: https://cga.ct.gov/2024/BA/PDF/2024HB-05290-R01-BA.PDF
H.B. 5200
An Act Concerning Health Care Accessibility for Persons with a Disability
Status: Awaiting Governor's Signature
This bill requires group practices with at least 9 physicians, APRNs, or a combination to consider
federal technical accessibility standards when purchasing medical equipment. Further, it requires the Public Health Commissioner to annually notify about best practices related to accessibility.
Additionally it creates the following:
● Administrative requirements, including training staff, and inventory, among other things. As well
as medical diagnostic requirements for practice locations with three or more examination rooms
● Exemptions for facilities that are unable to comply due to availability or price, facilities
that are in the process of getting approval from municipalities, or meeting the criteria for an
exemption or exclusion under federal law.
● Requirements for DPH when reviewing a health care facility’s plan for a construction or
renovation, DPH must comply with federal guidelines and adopt regulations to implement this
requirement.
Bill for Reference:https://www.cga.ct.gov/2024/FC/PDF/2024HB-05200-R000665-FC.PDF
OLR Report: https://cga.ct.gov/2024/BA/PDF/2024HB-05200-R010665-BA.PDF
H.B. 5058
An Act Adopting the Nurse Licensure Compact
Status: Awaiting Governor's Signature
This legislation enters Connecticut into the Nurse Licensure Compact, creating a process for nurses
to get a multistate license in their home state. This bill also outlines eligibility requirements, oversight committees, and creates a working group to evaluate the state’s implementation of the compact.
Bill for Reference: https://cga.ct.gov/2024/FC/PDF/2024HB-05058-R000601-FC.PDF
OLR Report: https://cga.ct.gov/2024/BA/PDF/2024HB-05058-R010601-BA.PDF
H.B. 5196
An Act Expanding the Podiatric Scope of Practice
Status: Awaiting Governor's Signature
This bill expands the scope of practice of podiatric medicine. The main changes to their scope of
practice are allowing podiatrists to perform independent Chopart joint-level amputations. The bill
requires that in order for a podiatrist to expand their practice, they must graduate from a podiatric residency program meeting specified criteria, and hold current board certification or qualification in reconstructive rearfoot ankle surgery by the American Board of Foot and Ankle
Surgery, or its successor.
Further, the bill requires the Public Health Committee co-chairpersons to convene a panel of two
representatives each from an organization representing orthopedics and an organization representing
podiatrists to develop criteria for allowing podiatrists to perform total ankle replacements. It also establishes that hospitals are not required to grant podiatrists privileges to perform total
ankle replacement surgeries.
Bill for Reference: https://cga.ct.gov/2024/FC/PDF/2024HB-05196-R000629-FC.PDF
OLR Report: https://cga.ct.gov/2024/BA/PDF/2024HB-05196-R010629-BA.PDF
S.B. 395
An Act Concerning the Reporting of Medical Debt
Status: Signed into law by the Governor (PA. 24-6)
This bill prohibits CT health care providers, hospitals, or entities owned by or affiliated with hospitals from reporting medical debt to credit rating agencies for use in credit reports. It requires healthcare providers to add a clause in their contracts with collection entities that prohibits them from reporting the debt to credit rating agencies.
Public Act for Reference: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2024/ACT/PA/PDF/2024PA-00006-R00SB-00395-PA.PDF
OLR Report: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2024/BA/PDF/2024SB-00395-R01-BA.PDF
H.B. 5459
An Act Increasing Rates for Medicaid Reimbursement for Certain Providers
Status: Did not Advance
Appropriating $10M to DSS in the fiscal years ending June 30, 2025, June 30, 2026, and June 30,
2027, for the purpose of increasing Medicaid rates. Accelerates what the state is planning on doing
over time but still has to go through Appropriations to be included in the budget. Funding for this
initiative was not available this year, on top of that it lacked executive support as the Governor wanted to see the study conclude before allocating funding to this initiative.
S.B. 9
An Act Promoting Hospital Financial Stability
Status: Did not advance past calendar
While the bill itself did not advance to the Senate floor, money instead was allocated through
bonding to address issues with the prospect hospital.
S.B. 8
An Act Concerning Drug Affordability
Status: Did not advance past calendar
The purpose of this bill was to take various steps to address drug affordability and access for
Connecticut residents. There are numerous proposals in this robust piece of legislation, ranging from cost saving measures, to important programs. Sec. 1-9 deal with a Canadian prescription drug important program, sec. 10 and 11, deal with a drug affordability board, and stakeholder council. The remaining sections deal with drug affordability, pricing assessments, payment limit violations, cost savings, drug withdrawals, insulin, drug shortage prevention, and 340B drugs.
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