s_sa_2017a_2017-02-08t13:35:39z1 Hearing Summary

Date: 02/08/2017

Location: SCR 357

01:51 PM -- SB17-064



Senator Kefalas, sponsor, presented Senate Bill 17-064 to the committee. The bill requires freestanding emergency departments to be licensed under a newly created license type from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) by July 1, 2019. Under current law, these facilities are licensed as community clinics with emergency centers. From the effective date of the bill until the required license date, no new freestanding emergency departments can be licensed under the new or existing license types, and facilities that meet the definition of freestanding emergency department and are currently licensed as a community clinic must comply with the additional financial and facility regulations until the new license type takes effect. The bill defines "freestanding emergency department" as a health facility that provides emergency and urgent care services and is either:



• independent from a hospital system, not attached to or contained within a hospital, and not operated by or affiliated with a hospital system; or

• affiliated with a hospital system and located off the hospital's main campus.



A freestanding emergency department must be able to triage patients upon intake to determine whether emergency or urgent care is needed, and if no medical emergency exists, the freestanding emergency department must be able to provide urgent care and bill patients at the lower urgent care rate. The bill requires the CDPHE to establish various rules for freestanding emergency departments, including licensing; fees; staffing requirements; transfer and transportation protocols; location restrictions near critical access hospitals; and transparency requirements for facility fees, professional fees, and fees for ancillary services. Freestanding emergency departments must provide information on their websites that clearly states facility fees that may be charged and list health plans for which their services are covered as in- and out-of-network benefits.



Committee members discussed the bill with Senator Kefalas. They received a handout from the Colorado Medical Society, the Colorado Academy of Family Physicians, and the Colorado Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians (Attachment B).



17SenateState0208AttachB.pdf



02:03 PM -- Elisabeth Arenales, representing the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, testified in support of the bill. She provided two handouts to committee members (Attachments C and D).



17SenateState0208AttachC.pdf 17SenateState0208AttachD.pdf



02:07 PM -- Paul Wagner, representing himself, testified in support of the bill and provided a handout to committee members (Attachment E). The committee discussed the bill with Mr. Wagner.



17SenateState0208AttachE.pdf



02:12 PM -- Sara Orrange, representing the Colorado Association of Health Plans, testified on the bill from a neutral position.



02:15 PM -- Virginia Morrison Love, representing America's Health Insurance Plans, testified on the bill from a neutral position. The committee discussed the bill with Ms. Morrison Love.



02:22 PM -- Tracey Campbell, representing the Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC), testified on the bill from a neutral position. The committee discussed the bill with Ms. Campbell.



02:28 PM -- Cindy Sovine-Miller, representing the Colorado Commission on Affordable Health Care, testified on the bill from a neutral position. She provided a handout to committee members (Attachment F).



17SenateState0208AttachF.pdf



02:31 PM -- Caitlin Westerson, representing the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, testified in support of the bill. The committee discussed the bill with Ms. Westerson.



02:38 PM -- Randy Kuykendall, representing CDPHE, testified on the bill from a neutral position. He provided a handout to committee members (Attachment G). The committee discussed the bill with Mr. Kuykendall.



17SenateState0208AttachG.pdf



02:57 PM -- Dr. Jim Todd, representing the Colorado Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, testified on the bill from a neutral position.



03:06 PM -- Jennifer Cassell, representing the National Association of Freestanding Emergency Centers, testified against the bill.



03:08 PM -- Suzanne Hamilton, representing the American College of Emergency Physicians, testified against the bill. The committee discussed the bill with Ms. Hamilton.



03:12 PM -- Katherine Mulready, representing the Colorado Hospital Association, testified on the bill from a neutral position. The committee discussed the bill with Ms. Mulready.



03:17 PM -- Melissa Osse, representing HealthONE Hospital Systems, testified against the bill. The committee discussed the bill with Ms. Osse and Ms. Mulready.



03:27 PM -- Brock Herzberg, representing Adeptus Health, testified against the bill.



03:31 PM -- A.W. Schnellbacher, representing AARP Colorado, testified in support of the bill.



03:35 PM -- Sharon Sloane, representing the Colorado Senior Lobby, testified in support of the bill.



03:39 PM -- Ed Shackelford, representing himself, testified in support of the bill. The committee discussed the bill with Mr. Shackelford.





03:43 PM



Senator Kefalas wrapped up his presentation of the bill. Committee members commented on the bill.