Health
Key Points
- Encourage genuine market-based and consumer-oriented health insurance reforms, which simultaneously would control costs, improve quality, and expand access to health care for all Americans through free enterprise.
- Work to allow state spending to reflect the unique needs of each state and local jurisdiction, and set eligibility standards that reflect state priorities.
- Regulators and elected officials work to encourage health care sharing ministries to provide health care cost sharing arrangements among persons of similar and sincerely held religious beliefs, administered by not-for-profit religious organizations.
- Work to encourage furthering an environment that facilitates high quality, low cost healthcare that allows individuals choice, and control over their healthcare needs and expenses.
There has never been a time when both federal and state jurisdictions have been more in control of American’s healthcare than it is today. Implementation of the Affordable Care Act is well in motion, and each state has considered how to address provisions of the federal law as it has been mandated to take effect. At ALEC, we are constantly in search of ways to encourage greater choice, transparency and budget-predictability in our healthcare system. The Health and Human Services (HHS) Task Force seeks Model Policy that will allow decisions about individuals’ health care in the hands of doctors and patients, not government agencies or third party payers.
There is also incredible opportunity to modernize our healthcare system by encouraging greater innovation to providers by way of digital health and health information technology. As we go forward, HHS Task Force objective will work to break down barriers to innovation in our regulatory and legislative environment, allowing cutting edge products and services brought about by investment in science and technology into our models of care. With this, private enterprise will play an even bigger role in how we monitor and access care, whether it is remotely over broadband, in person, or through a digital application. Below are key initiatives we are in pursuit of. Please join us in this discussion; it is a great time to be at ALEC.
Model Policies
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Dental Therapists Act Final
SECTION 1. Definitions (1) “Dental therapist” means an individual licensed by the State Board of Dentistry who engage in the limited practice of dentistry. (2) “Dental Therapy” means the limited practice of dentistry, consisting of the services, treatments, and procedures specified under state law. (3) “Health care provider” means a…
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Expanding Physician Access Act Final
SECTION 1. This model shall be known and may be cited as the “Expanding Physician Access Act.” (A) Purpose. This Act removes barriers that prevent high-quality, internationally-licensed physicians from filling vacancies in [State], including in rural and primary care settings, by eliminating unnecessary training duplication. All other standards of care…
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Birth Freedom Act Final
Section 1: Findings and Purpose. (A) The legislature finds and declares the following: Childbirth is a culmination of pregnancy and is a natural process rather than an illness; The practice of midwifery has been part of the history and tradition of the United States and this State since before their…
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Statewide Health Data Utility Act Final
Section 1. Declaration of Purpose A state health data utility (“HDU”) can help achieve better patient outcomes, improve the overall health and wellbeing of the people of [STATE], and reduce the cost of health care by creating a more seamless, transparent, and modernized approach to sharing health information. This bill…
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Hospital Price Transparency Act Final
Section 1: Short Title This Act shall be known and may be cited as the Hospital Price Transparency Act. Section 2: Purpose The purpose of this Act is to require healthcare facilities to disclose prices for certain items and services provided by certain medical facilities; provide administrative penalties; prohibit collective…
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Pharmacist Prescribing Authority Act Final
Be it enacted by the legislature of the state: Section 1. Short Title This Act shall be known and may be cited as the Pharmacist Prescribing Authority Act. Section 2. Purpose The purpose of this Act is to authorize pharmacists to practice the full extent of their education and…
Press Releases
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New Report Highlights Detriments of Overregulated Dental Industry
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Taylor McCarty tmccarty@alec.org 571-482-5023 Arlington, VA (February 28, 2017) – Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA),…
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New Report Highlights Detriments of Overregulated Pharmaceutical Industry
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ashley Pratte apratte@alec.org Arlington, VA (January 11, 2017) – Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the cost of prescription drugs have…
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New Report Offers Ways to Fight Prescription Opioid Abuse
Written by Dr. Wayne Winegarden, the new report explores the benefits of abuse-deterrent formulations (ADFs) of prescription opioids and offers lawmakers recommendations on how to expand patient access to the new technologies when addressing addiction issues in their states. In 2008, the record of abuse and misuse of prescription opioids has accounted for an estimated $55.7 million in healthcare, workplace and criminal justice costs.
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ALEC Amicus Brief: ObamaCare’s Individual Mandate Fails to Account for State Interests and Displaces State Policy Choices
Contact: Kaitlyn Buss Phone: 202-742-8526 Email: kbuss@alec.org ALEC Amicus Brief: ObamaCare’s Individual Mandate Fails to Account for State Interests and Displaces State Policy Choices Washington, D.C.