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SAVE THE DATE!
2014 Fall Meeting
October 3-4, 2014
Kansas City Marriott
Country Club Plaza
Kansas CIty, MO
More Details...
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Save the Date!
2014 Midwest AAOE Fall Meeting
 October 3-4, 2014 Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza Kansas City, MO
The Program Committee is busy crafting the agenda for the Fall Meeting. We want your input as we design the program to meet your educational needs. Please email any ideas for speakers or topic areas to fcobbe@cobbemanagement.com.
We look forward to making major announcements on the program in the coming weeks. Please mark your calendars and make plans to join us in Kansas City in October.
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Legislation Could Protect More Under
Non-Economic Damages Cap
From Forbes Law Group
 The Kansas Legislature, through House Bill 2516, seeks to address the Kansas Supreme Court's concerns with the Legislature's non-economic damages cap that was instituted in 1988 (Miller v. Johnson). The Court suggested that in order to be subject to the cap, a health care provider must participate in the Kansas Health Care Stabilization Fund ("KHCSF"). KHCSF provides professional liability coverage for Kansas' health care providers. House Bill 2516 expands the definition of "health care provider" to include licensed physician assistants, nurse midwives, nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and residential care health care facilities. In the Fiscal Note prepared by the Division of the Budget, it is estimated that the proposed bill would admit an additional 4,340 new health care providers to the KHCSF. By expanding the definition of a health care provider to these professionals, these individuals would be subject to the non-economic damages cap. The bill was passed by the House, subsequently amended and passed by the Senate, and is awaiting a Conference Committee in the House.
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Missouri House Introduces Bill Requiring Licensing of Radiology Technologists
From Forbes Law Group
 Missouri House Bill No. 1060, introduced on January 9, 2014, will require radiology assistants, radiology practitioner assistants, and radiology technologists to be licensed with the Board of Registration for the Healing Arts. Currently there are no Missouri-specific registration requirements for these professions. The Bill grants the Board the authority to promulgate the specific requirements for licensing, including potential fees, which have not been determined at this time. If enacted by the General Assembly, the law will be effective August 28, 2014.
If the bill passes, employers of radiology technologists will need to ensure their staff is appropriately and timely licensed to ensure compliance with Medicare and other payors' reimbursement requirements in addition to complying with the state licensure requirement. Providers may also consider reviewing their payor agreements to ensure consistency with the new state law requirements.
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Missouri House of Representatives Passes Any Willing Provider Bill
From Forbes Law Group
 In February the Missouri House Health Care Policy Committee voted to pass House Bill 1145, which requires all health care providers to provide public access to their standard fee schedules and prohibits a carrier from refusing to contract with any provider willing to accept the payor's terms, conditions and rates. Additionally, it requires all health care providers that refer to medical facilities to provide patients with information of every medical health facility at which the provider has privileges within the health carrier's provider network. The purpose of the bill is to prohibit a carrier from discriminating between medically appropriate facilities within the provider network regarding benefits coverage or reimbursement. If a health care provider or health carrier violates the provisions of HB 1145, it will be subject to licensure sanctions. At the House Hearing, insurance carriers such as Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and the Missouri Hospital Association testified in opposition to HB 1145, but many Missouri physicians and provider groups are in favor. The Senate has not yet scheduled a vote on HB 1145, but if passed is set to take effect in August of 2014.
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