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Senate advances rural health-care amendments after debate over distance and credentialing
Summary
Senators advanced House Bill 216, a compromise from an interim study addressing rural health-care provider access, expanding protections for services in rural areas and changing a distance standard in committee amendment from 33 to 60 miles; the bill passed to third reading with broad support.
After extended floor discussion on Feb. 13, the Utah Senate advanced House Bill 216, a package of rural health-care provider amendments the sponsor described as the product of an interim study and stakeholder negotiations.
The sponsor said the earlier effort had tried to address both PPOs and HMOs but that the compromise this year focuses on HMOs while work continues on other provider categories. The bill aims to guarantee that services are available in rural communities and to ensure those providers are appropriately credentialed and integrated with local hospitals and community health centers.
A point of contention during floor remarks concerned the distance standard for eligible providers. The bill as introduced referred to a 33-road-mile standard; the committee amended that to 60 miles and the sponsor said the amended language ("as the crow flies" vs. road miles) was intended to ensure coverage for those who need help in remote areas.
Senators pressed the sponsor with questions about credentialing, the scope of protection for independent hospitals and community health centers, and whether the compromise struck the right balance among providers, payers and rural communities. The sponsor said the measure was the result of frequent meetings over the interim and characterized it as a compromise arrived at by many stakeholders.
The Senate recorded a roll-call vote sending HB216 to the third-reading calendar with 28 aye votes and one absence.
