Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Veto Stops Bill to Review Healthcare Dealmaking in California

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that was designed to require state approval for healthcare merger and acquisition deals involving private investors. The scrutiny was meant to increase oversight of private equity and hedge fund ownership transactions that have the potential to lead to consolidations and closures of healthcare provider operations. However, it’s important to note the reason behind the veto. Newsom reasoned that California has an existing Office of Health Care Affordability …

In Maryland, Supervised Staff Can Now Capture X-Rays

Maryland has finalized licensure-exception legislation to create a limited-scope x-ray technologist role that urgent care centers can now leverage to help extend the services their staff can provide. No license is required, but there are some criteria techs must meet, such as clinical experience, hours of training, and supervision by a licensed physician or radiologic technologist. The good news is that the staff who qualify can capture x-rays for almost any common concern, including spine, …

New Jersey Moves to Make Out-of-Network Charges More Transparent

Legislators in New Jersey have passed legislation aimed at increasing the transparency of health care prices, especially fees for services rendered by out-of-network providers. When it takes effect less than 90 days from now, healthcare facilities and providers will be required to give patients information on network status prior to delivering nonemergent or nonurgent care. That last stipulation is what should be of interest to urgent care operators: The law says care provided on an …

More States Try to Address Opioid Crisis Legislatively

West Virginia and Florida are the latest states to seek a legislative solution to the nation’s ongoing crisis of opioid misuse, abuse, and related deaths. In West Virginia, the state senate just voted unanimously to limit new painkiller prescriptions for most patients to a 7-day supply, though the number would be lower for urgent care centers and emergency rooms (4 days) and for dentists and ophthalmologists (3 days). Florida is looking at a bill that …

Texas is Finally on Board with Telemedicine

After stutters and starts, Texas became the last state in the U.S. to enact legislation allowing doctors to treat patients virtually. Proponents argue that it was sorely needed, as Texas ranks 46th in the country in the number of primary care physicians per capita—71.4 PCPs for every 100,000 residents, according to telehealth provider Teledoc; 35 counties don’t have a family physician at all. Teladoc actually started operating in Texas in 2005, but the state medical …

Is a Single-Payer System Next for California?

While previous attempts have crashed and burned, proposed new legislation could move California one step closer to a single-payer healthcare system. Proponents in the state senate say it is the “intent of the Legislature” to enact such a law “for the benefit of everyone in the state.” However, specific details and a prospective timetable have not been revealed. If it does pass and ultimately get signed into law, the measure would replace private insurance in …

NJ Lawmakers Take a Closer Look at Telemedicine

Legislators in New Jersey are weighing the relative benefits of telemedicine in order to ensure the evolving technology is used properly—namely, that there’s no danger of virtual doctor visits taking the place of in-person care then the latter is clearly needed. Advocates point out that sometimes patients need to see a physician after even urgent care centers have close, though their symptoms don’t warrant an expensive trip to the emergency room. Detractors say some patients …

Freestanding ER Sticker Shock Still an Issue Despite Transparency Laws

Urgent care operators who face competition from freestanding emergency rooms should emphasize cost differences compared with urgent care, and remind patients that vigilance may be needed to tell the difference between the two. Patients in Texas, for example, are finding that a new law requiring freestanding emergency rooms to post notices that fees may be comparable to a hospital emergency room doesn’t go far enough in preventing surprisingly big bills postcare. One problem: The nature …

West Virginia Moving Toward Prescribing Authority for APRNs

The West Virginia House of Delegates has approved a bill that would give advanced practice registered nurses more authority to treat patients and prescribe medications without a physician’s supervision. If the state senate also passes the “Nurse Practitioners Bill,” West Virginia will become the 22nd state allowing nurse practitioners to do so. The senate has already proposed two amendments to the version passed by the house; one would establish an advisory board to put forth …

Tricare Urgent Care Pilot Now in Obama’s Hands

The “ayes” had it as Congress approved a three-year pilot program that waives preauthorization for Tricare beneficiaries who want to visit an urgent care center. Tricare provides civilian health benefits for military personnel, military retirees, and their dependents. Part of the Fiscal Year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, the program will take effect six months after President Obama signs the bill (S. 1356) into law. At the end of year 1 of the pilot, the …