State Capitol Update: Provider rate floor bill crosses crucial hurdle

Posted on: 4/26/24

Thursday was the deadline for bills to be heard by the opposite chamber. Due to OHA member advocacy, SB 1675 (Sen. Greg McCortney/ Rep. Marcus McEntire) passed off the House floor Thursday afternoon. The bill extends the healthcare provider rate floor in the SoonerSelect program and ensures competition in the marketplace by requiring a provider-owned organization to be awarded a contract during the next procurement cycle for SoonerSelect. By statute, the rate floor is set to expire on July 1, 2026. The bill passed off the House floor by a vote of 73 to 8 and is now destined for conference committee where negotiations will continue. 

An OHA request bill carried over from last session also passed off the House floor Thursday.  SB 707 (Sen. Paul Rosino/Rep. Cynthia Roe) creates several rights for the relatives of deceased persons such as being informed of the right to private autopsy, the right for a relative to receive a timely death certificate and establishes a time frame for the investigation of determination of death. The bill now heads to the governor. 

Another bill on its way to the governor is HB 1713 (Rep. T.J. Marti/Sen. Jessica Garvin), which puts guardrails around the practice of white bagging. White bagging is an insurer practice that requires in-network facilities and providers to obtain and administer specialty drugs from an insurer-affiliated specialty pharmacy. A couple of provisions included in the bill are:

• Prohibiting health benefits plans and PBMs from refusing to authorize, approve, or pay a participating provider for providing covered physician-administered drugs to covered persons. 
• Requires all white-bagged drugs distributed in the state to meet supply chain security controls set forth by the federal Drug Supply Chain Security Act as amended. 

A bill requested by Saint Francis Health System is also on its way to the governor’s desk. HB 3199 (Rep. Marilyn Stark/Sen. John Haste) expands peer review protections for those hospitals that conduct peer review of PAs and APRNs.  

Wrapping up a busy week, HB 3190 (Rep. Carl Newton/Sen. Garvin) passed off the Senate floor on Thursday. The bill reforms the prior authorization process and contains provisions that closely mirror a finalized rule to improve the prior authorization process within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The bill now returns to the House where it’s expected the House will accept Senate amendments and send the bill on to the governor. (Scott Tohlen)