The following report is from Timothy Fagan MD, who represented Pima County Medical Society at the Arizona Health Advocacy Coalition. It is a summary of what was discussed at the AHAC meeting held April 6, 2021. We encourage you to contact your state representatives and senators over any concerns you may have regarding these bills. 

Bills that ArMA supports:

HB 2621 The bill to have a single prior authorization form for all insurance companies, has been passed and signed by Gov. Doug Ducey. This will probably not take effect until 2022.

HB 2622 The non-retaliation bill has passed and been signed by Gov. Ducey.

SB 1377 The liability reform has passed and been signed by Gov. Ducey.

SB 1270 An improvement in step therapy bill needs final approval in the House.

HB 2454 The bill to have telehealth paid at the same rate as in-person visits is still in the works, currently only including behavioral health telephone-only visits are to be fully paid. It is still in the Senate, and ArMA is working to see that all telephone-only visits are fully paid. This may not happen until the 2022 legislative session.

Bills that ArMA opposes:

SB 1300 / HB 2845 The bill, which would allow CRNAs to oversee surgical center discharges without physician supervision, has been improved, but is still unacceptable; the politics continue.

HB 2140 The bill to make any abortion, after a fetal heartbeat is audible, a felony, will not be allowed to come to a vote in the Senate, and is therefore is dead.

SB 1457 The bill to outlaw any abortion related to a genetic defect of the fetus has been downgraded from a Class 3 felony to a Class 6 felony, and is permissible if the defect is incompatible with life. ArMA continues to oppose this bill.

A strike-all bill This is where a bill is totally replaced, but retains the old bill number, which would make it a felony for any business, including hospitals and physicians’ offices, to discriminate against any person for not having been vaccinated against COVID-19 or other diseases. It would include loss of medical license for any physician who discriminates in this way. The politics continue.

ArMA-neutral bill:

SB 1271 The associate physicians bill, which allows U.S. medical school graduates, who do not match to a residency program, to work under one-on-one supervision by a licensed physician with appropriate credentials for up to three years.