Bill Summary for Bill Number SB10-124

Date: 04/12/2010

Final
BILL SUMMARY for SB10-124

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Votes: View-->	Action Taken:
Moved to adopt prepared amendment L.005 (Attachmen Moved to refer Senate Bill 10-124, as amended, to	Pass Without Objection PASS

02:06 PM -- Senate Bill 10-124

Representative Ryden presented Senate Bill 10-124 which modifies the Michael Skolnik Transparency Act to include audiologists, acupuncturists, podiatrists, chiropractors, dentists and dental hygienists, physician assistants, midwives, nurses, optometrists, physical therapists, and all mental health therapists. She explained that the Michael Skolnik Transparency Act requires medical professionals to disclose certain information to the State Board of Medical Examiners. Amendment L.005 was provided to the committee (Attachment B).

02:15 PM -- Rose McCool, Director, Division of Registrations, Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), responded to committee questions. She stated that the division discussed whether to include occupational therapists on the list of medical professions required to report information for the Michael Skolnik Transparency Act, but decided against it. She stated that the department will review whether occupational therapists should be required to provide information pursuant to the Michael Skolnik Transparency Act after the sunset review of the State Board of Occupational Therapy next year. In responding to Representative Kerr's question, she stated that the bill will add approximately 117,000 medical practitioners to the registry. Ms. McCool stated that the website receives about 6,000 to 7,000 hits a month.

02:27 PM -- Barbara Hughes, Certified Nurse Midwives of Colorado, testified in support of the bill. She stated that the database allows consumers to feel safer when choosing a medical professional and it improves transparency.

02:31 PM -- Dr. Ben Vernon, Colorado Medical Society, spoke in support of the bill. He stated that initially physicians were reluctant to file information with the DORA, but over time have come to understand that it is a positive tool for consumers. He spoke to the provision in the bill that allows physicians or other medical practitioners to share their charity work and awards through the database.

02:34 PM -- Charlie Hebeler, Colorado Dental Association, testified in support of the bill, if amended. She stated that her clients have concerns that the bill will create an administrative burden. She spoke in support of amendment L.005, which clarifies that only medical professionals with an active license must report and excludes the requirement that applicants report information regarding contracts with insurance carriers.

02:44 PM -- Patty Skolnik, Citizens for Patient Safety, spoke in support of the bill. Ms. Skolnik provided a handout to the committee (Attachment C). She relayed a personal story about researching physicians on the DORA website. She stated it was a positive step forward to be able to review medical facts available for consumers.


BILL:	SB10-124
TIME:	02:58:34 PM
MOVED:	Kefalas
MOTION:	Moved to adopt prepared amendment L.005 (Attachment B). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Gagliardi
		VOTE
	Acree
	Apuan
	Gerou
	Kefalas
	Kerr J.
	Primavera
	Roberts
	Swalm
	Tyler
	Gagliardi
	Riesberg

Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

02:59 PM

Representative Ryden provided concluding remarks on the bill. She commented that the department has received very little negative feedback regarding the registry currently in place. Rose McCool returned to the table to respond to Representative Primavera's question regarding whether married names are included under aliases by responding that the information is populated in the database.


BILL:	SB10-124
TIME:	03:02:38 PM
MOVED:	Kefalas
MOTION:	Moved to refer Senate Bill 10-124, as amended, to the Committee on Finance. The motion passed on a 6-5 roll call vote.
SECONDED:	Primavera
		VOTE
	Acree	No
	Apuan	Yes
	Gerou	No
	Kefalas	Yes
	Kerr J.	No
	Primavera	Yes
	Roberts	No
	Swalm	No
	Tyler	Yes
	Gagliardi	Yes
	Riesberg	Yes

Final YES: 6 NO: 5 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS