MISSISSIPPI INJURED WORKERS PRIVACY ACT
Imagine being able to walk into the ER at the hospital and requesting the contact information of everyone who has been admitted that day. That is exactly what is taking place at the MS Workers’ Comp Commission daily – all due to a loophole in Mississippi’s Public Records Act.
In 2020, two bills designed to protect the information of injured workers passed the House but died in the Senate. These were HB 461 and HB 750.
BILL TO OUTLAW SYNTHETIC HUMAN URINE
Hard to imagine that in Mississippi it is legal for someone to purchase Synthetic Human Urine for the purposes of faking a drug test at work. This has resulted in an unsafe work environment, and MASI is fighting to change this. HB 97, authored by Rep. Nick Bain and championed by Rep. Jill Ford, passed the House of Representatives by an almost unanimous vote but died in the Senate.
WORKPLACE WELLNESS TAX CREDIT
MASI is continuing to work to pass the Workplace Wellness Tax Credit, to allow $1 million in tax credits for employers who provide wellness programs for their employees. SB 2289, authored by Sen. Joey Fillingane, died in the Senate
WORK COMP BILLS
HB 461 – Workers’ Compensation Law; revise various provisions of.
HB 750 – Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983; exempt certain records of Workers’ Compensation Commission from definition of public records.
HB 468 – Mississippi Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association Act; revise.
HB 306 – Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission; return to a special fund agency.
HB 198 – Workers’ Compensation Law; increase maximum total recovery under to 520 weeks.
HB 313 – Workers’ Compensation Law; require blood tests and autopsies in found dead cases under certain conditions.
HB 314 – Workers’ compensation; increase assessment for the Second Injury Trust Fund.
HB1011 – Workers’ compensation; require emergency hearing upon request of either party.
SB2201 – Workers’ compensation; increase assessment for the Second Injury Trust Fund.
SB2205 – Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission; reestablish as special fund agency.
SB2198 – Workers’ Compensation Law; revise various provisions of.
SB2199 – Workers’ Compensation Law; require blood tests and autopsies in found-dead cases under certain conditions.
SB2201 – Workers’ compensation; increase assessment for the Second Injury Trust Fund.
HB 306 – Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission; return to a special fund agency.
HB 198 – Workers’ Compensation Law; increase maximum total recovery under to 520 weeks.
HEALTH BILLS
HB 408 – Credit for reinsurance; provide requirements for.
HB 102 – Health insurance policies; require coverage for certain obesity treatments.
HB 384 – State Health Insurance Plan; provide coverage for proton therapy to treat cancer and certain noncancerous tumors.
HB 424 – Health insurance policies; require coverage for hearing aids and services for children under 21.
HB 468 – Mississippi Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association Act; revise.
HB 471 – Pharmacies; reduce time period covered by audit of claims submitted to pharmacy benefit managers.
HB 474 – Health insurance carriers; require to cap patient cost for prescriptions for insulin drugs.
HB 686 – Patient’s Right to Informed Health Care Choices Act & prohibitions against deceptive advertising by providers; extend repealers on.
HB 688 – MS Pharmacy Practice Act; extend repealer on.
HB 708 – Pharmacy Benefit Prompt Pay Act; revise various provisions of.
HB 102 – Health insurance policies; require coverage for certain obesity treatments.
HB 315 – Patient Choice Act of 2020; create.
HB 374 – Insurance; require certain consumer information and notice and availability of mediation regarding balance billing.
HB 384 – State Health Insurance Plan; provide coverage for proton therapy to treat cancer and certain noncancerous tumors.
HB 424 – Health insurance policies; require coverage for hearing aids and services for children under 21.
HB 471 – Pharmacies; reduce time period covered by audit of claims submitted to pharmacy benefit managers.
HB 474 – Health insurance carriers; require to cap patient cost for prescriptions for insulin drugs.
HB 825 – Health insurance; require certain policies to provide coverage for physician-prescribed proton beam therapy.
HB1059 – Direct Primary Care Act; revise to Direct Health Care Act to apply to all health care providers.
HB1070 – State option for healthcare coverage; direct Department of Health and Insurance Department to study and present proposal to Legislature.
HB 79 – Oxycontin pills; limit RX to 75 pills per RX unless patient is hospitalized or in nursing home.
HB 80 – Hospitals; require to examine persons at ER with sickle cell disease symptoms within four hours after admission.
HB 132 – Health; State Health Officer shall develop program to close the gap in health status of gender and racial groups.
HB 197 – Chronic Diseases; direct Health Department to establish WISEWOMAN and WISEMAN programs to reduce incidence of.
HB 209 – Medical marijuana; authorize Alcorn State University to enter into MOU for local farmers to grow for out-of-state vendors.
HB 279 – Prohibition on Price Gouging for Essential Drugs Act; create.
HB 532 – Prescription drugs; require Attorney General to compile certain lists of those essential for treating diabetes and costs of.
HB 568 – Physical therapists; not required to have prior work experience to work at PPEC center.
HB 606 – Mississippi Access to Health Care Act; create.
HB 619 – Physical therapy practice laws; revise various provisions of.
HB 634 – Families First Unpaid Leave Time Act; enact to require employers to provide unpaid leave to employees for certain situations.
HB 829 – Prescription drugs; direct Health Department to establish a wholesale importation program for.
HB 832 – Pseudoephedrine; require pharmacies to keep records of over the counter sales of.
SB2172 – Health insurance; require coverage for supplies used after surgery to remove bladder or colon.
SB2228 – Health insurance policies; prohibit step therapy requirements for certain prescription drugs to treat stage-four cancer.
SB2268 – Health insurance policies; require coverage for hearing aids and services for children under 21.
SB2302 – Mississippi First Responders Health and Safety Act; provide payments for benefits and insurance premiums.
SB2126 – Healthy and Safe Families and Workplaces Act; create.
SB2222 – Vaccinations; disclose information statements upon request and create medical exemption.
SB2308 – Patient’s Right to Informed Health Care Choices Act; extend repealers relating to.
SB2310 – Mississippi Pharmacy Practice Act; extend repealer on.
SB2402 – Pharmacists; revise regulation of pharmacy benefit managers.
SB2492 – Physical therapy practice laws; revise various provisions of.
SB2497 – Marijuana; legalize.
SB2498 – Marijuana; allow medical use by seriously ill patients, including service-connected PTSD.
GENERAL AND OTHER INSURANCE BILLS
HB 97 – Sell of urine; prohibit and prescribe criminal penalties for violation of.
SB2289 – Income tax; authorize a credit for employers who pay the cost of a qualified wellness program.
HB 728 – Liability insurance policies; must include provision that insolvency or bankruptcy of insured does not release insurer from payment of damages during policy. SB2192 – Urine; create the crime of selling or tampering with urine.