SB 14: "An Act relating to the appointment of a mobile intensive care paramedic to the State Medical Board; relating to medical review organizations; relating to immunity pertaining to automated external defibrillators; and providing for an effective date."
00 SENATE BILL NO. 14 01 "An Act relating to the appointment of a mobile intensive care paramedic to the State 02 Medical Board; relating to medical review organizations; relating to immunity 03 pertaining to automated external defibrillators; and providing for an effective date." 04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 * Section 1. AS 08.64.010 is amended to read: 06 Sec. 08.64.010. Creation and membership of State Medical Board. The 07 governor shall appoint a board of medical examiners, to be known as the State 08 Medical Board, consisting of five physicians licensed in the state and residing in as 09 many separate geographical areas of the state as possible, one physician assistant 10 licensed under AS 08.64.107, one mobile intensive care paramedic licensed under 11 AS 08.64.107, and two persons with no direct financial interest in the health care 12 industry. 13 * Sec. 2. AS 18.23.070(3) is amended to read: 14 (3) "health care provider" means an acupuncturist licensed under
01 AS 08.06; a chiropractor licensed under AS 08.20; a dental hygienist licensed under 02 AS 08.32; a dentist licensed under AS 08.36; a nurse licensed under AS 08.68; a 03 dispensing optician licensed under AS 08.71; an optometrist licensed under AS 08.72; 04 a pharmacist licensed under AS 08.80; a physical therapist or occupational therapist 05 licensed under AS 08.84; a physician licensed under AS 08.64; a podiatrist; a 06 psychologist and a psychological associate licensed under AS 08.86; a hospital as 07 defined in AS 47.32.900, including a governmentally owned or operated hospital; an 08 emergency medical technician certified under AS 18.08; an emergency medical 09 dispatcher certified under AS 18.08; a mobile intensive care paramedic licensed 10 under AS 08.64; and an employee of a health care provider acting within the course 11 and scope of employment; 12 * Sec. 3. AS 18.23.070(4) is amended to read: 13 (4) "professional service" means service rendered by a health care 14 provider of the type the provider is licensed or certified to render; 15 * Sec. 4. AS 18.23.070(5) is amended to read: 16 (5) "review organization" means 17 (A) a hospital governing body or a committee whose 18 membership is limited to health care providers and administrative staff, except 19 where otherwise provided for by state or federal law, and that is established by 20 a hospital, by a clinic, by one or more state or local associations of health care 21 providers, by an organization of health care providers from a particular area or 22 medical institution, or by a professional standards review organization 23 established under 42 U.S.C. 1320c-1, to gather and review information relating 24 to the care and treatment of patients for the purposes of 25 (i) evaluating and improving the quality of health care 26 rendered in the area or medical institution; 27 (ii) reducing morbidity or mortality; 28 (iii) obtaining and disseminating statistics and 29 information relative to the treatment and prevention of diseases, illness, 30 and injuries; 31 (iv) developing and publishing guidelines showing the
01 norms of health care in the area or medical institution; 02 (v) developing and publishing guidelines designed to 03 keep the cost of health care within reasonable bounds; 04 (vi) reviewing the quality or cost of health care services 05 provided to enrollees of health maintenance organizations; 06 (vii) acting as a professional standards review 07 organization under 42 U.S.C. 1320c; 08 (viii) reviewing, ruling on, or advising on controversies, 09 disputes, or questions between a health insurance carrier or health 10 maintenance organization and one or more of its insured or enrollees; 11 between a professional licensing board, acting under its powers of 12 discipline or license revocation or suspension, and a health care 13 provider licensed by it when the matter is referred to a review 14 organization by the professional licensing board; between a health care 15 provider and the provider's patients concerning diagnosis, treatment, or 16 care, or a charge or fee; between a health care provider and a health 17 insurance carrier or health maintenance organization concerning a 18 charge or fee for health care services provided to an insured or enrollee; 19 or between a health care provider or the provider's patients and the 20 federal or a state or local government, or an agency of the federal or a 21 state or local government; 22 (ix) acting on the recommendation of a credential 23 review committee or a grievance committee; 24 (B) the State Medical Board established by AS 08.64.010; 25 (C) a committee established by the commissioner of health and 26 social services and approved by the State Medical Board to review public 27 health issues regarding morbidity or mortality; at least 75 percent of the 28 committee members must be health care providers; 29 (D) the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare 30 Organizations (JCAHO); 31 (E) an emergency medical services medical director or an
01 emergency medical services group or committee whose membership is 02 limited to health care providers and administrative staff that gather and 03 review information relating to the care and treatment of patients for the 04 purpose of 05 (i) evaluating and improving the quality of health 06 care and emergency medical services rendered in the area; 07 (ii) reviewing patient care provided by a certified or 08 licensed health care provider; 09 (iii) reviewing the quality or cost of emergency 10 medical services rendered; or 11 (iv) developing or providing training for emergency 12 medical services. 13 * Sec. 5. AS 09.65.087(b)(4) and 09.65.087(d) are repealed. 14 * Sec. 6. Sections 2 - 4 of this Act take effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c). 15 * Sec. 7. Except as provided in sec. 6 of this Act, this Act takes effect July 1, 2015.