When the second year of the 109th General Assembly begins on Jan. 12, the Tennessee Medical Association will be ready to discuss legislation to help improve the healthcare environment for Tennessee doctors and patients.
During the upcoming session, TMA will focus on an agenda to craft a system that is patient-centered and physician-led, make sure insurance companies are more accountable when changing fee schedules and payment policies, and protect medical malpractice caps, among other issues.
“TMA is looking out for the future of Tennessee healthcare, working to make sure it evolves in ways that allow doctors to provide the best care possible to their patients. The issues on our 2016 agenda reflect our mission as an organization,” said TMA President John W. Hale, Jr., MD.
The full list of 2016 priorities is available at tnmed.org.
The Doctor as Team Leader
One of the key pieces of legislation on TMA’s list of priorities is the Tennessee Healthcare Improvement Act. The bill would put in place a team-based healthcare delivery model with doctors as the team leader in patient care coordination. It calls for collaboration between physicians and advanced practice nurses to make sure patients receive care from the appropriate providers with coordinated collaboration.
The TMA-backed bill is being offered as an alternative to the Nurse Independent Practice/Full Practice Authority Bill. The Tennessee Nurses Association has long advocated for legislation to remove scope-of-practice barriers, which has put the two major provider organizations at odds on this issue.
“Having the proper collaboration from a physician in diagnosing and treating a patient ensures the highest quality of care and patient safety,” stated Hale. “We want to knock down silos among providers, increase care collaboration and create a model that supports the best possible patient outcomes. The Healthcare Improvement Act will allow advanced practice nurses to use the full extent of their training but make sure that a physician is involved in the care of every patient. It’s in the best interest of all Tennesseans.”
Reimbursement Stability
TMA will also advocate for the Healthcare Provider Stability Act during the upcoming legislative session. The act, sponsored by Sen. Bo Watson (R-Hixson) and Rep. Jon Lundberg (R-Bristol), would limit how often insurance companies could change fee schedules and payment policies and require adequate notice of those changes to make the process more transparent.
“It’s impossible for a physician to make sure the business side of a practice runs smoothly when health plans can cut reimbursement mid-contract with no recourse for the physician,” Hale said.
Clarifying Malpractice Caps
A third major initiative for TMA in the upcoming session is to work toward a constitutional amendment clarifying that the General Assembly has the authority to set caps on noneconomic damages in cases including medical liability actions.
A 2011 cap on noneconomic damages is currently being threatened by lawsuits. The proposed amendment must pass two separate General Assemblies before it goes on the ballot for a vote in 2018. If the amendment doesn’t pass the 2016 General Assembly, the earliest the issue could be up for a statewide vote would be 2022.
“The General Assembly needs to act now to prevent us from going backwards on the issue of a noneconomic damages cap,” said Hale. “The cap fosters growth in Tennessee’s healthcare industry by cutting back on frivolous lawsuits and the costs that come with them. I’m confident Tennessee voters will support it if given the chance to have their voices heard.”
RELATED LINKS:
TMA List of Legislative Priorities