Medicaid expansion is headed for a final decision in the house Wednesday! It is an issue NCMS has been working on and is glad to see it moving forward so quickly. Thank you to our members, partners and friends in Raleigh for all your hard work.

Last week, the House did calendar a vote on the Senate approved Medicaid Expansion Bill, HB 76, for March 22nd. If the House concurs with the Senate and approves the legislation, the bill will head to Governor Roy Cooper’s Desk.

The Senate also filed the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Bill, SB 324, which would allow physicians to easily become licensed in other states that are a part of the compact with one application. There are 37 states that have currently joined the compact. If North Carolina joins the compact through this legislation, physicians would have access to this licensure process.

Here are some other bills we are watching filed this week:

SB 298, DMV Bone Marrow Donor Solicitation: Would include an application for the National Bone Marrow Donor Program with DMV forms.

SB 305 & HB 361, Require Report/Protection & Advocacy Agency: Would require the Protection and Advocacy Agency of NC to report on efforts to assist people with disabilities.

SB 310, Solving the Preceptor Crisis: Would direct the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers Program (NC AHEC) to study the impediments to the availability of community-based preceptors.

HB 354, Chiropractic Assistant Modifications: Creates a new designation for chiropractic clinical assistants who are graduate students.

HB 392, Reflexologist Right to Work Act: Would allow reflexologists to practice without a state license if they have accreditation from the American Reflexology Certification Board.

SB 321, Medical Debt De-Weaponization Act: Requires all “large healthcare facilities” to create a Medical Debt Mitigation Policy (MDMP) which must include a written financial assistance policy, a plain language summary of said policy, the eligibility criteria for said assistance and type of assistance, the application process for patients, information and documentation required of patients applying, steps to determine patient eligibility, and billing/collections policy including actions for nonpayment

Read full summaries of these bills here.