Oklahoma Senate Approves Health Center Bill on Open Meeting Act and Payment Protections
On Wednesday, the Oklahoma State Senate voted 39-5 to pass
HB 1690, an OKPCA request bill. The bill removes health center boards of directors as “public bodies” for the purposes the Open Meeting Act and codifies that Medicaid shall pay health centers FQHC PPS at minimum or a PPS-equivalent or greater amount in an alternative payment method.
HB 1690 has an emergency clause and would be effective immediately upon approval. Governor Stitt has five days from the time of the bill's passage to sign the bill. If he signs it or if he takes no action, the bill will immediately become law. This bill works in the current system, with in-house managed care, or third-party managed care. We greatly appreciate the support of bill sponsors Rep. Carl Newton and Sen. Darcy Jech as well as everyone who advocated for HB 1690 on behalf of community health centers.
Health Center Bill on Substance Use Disorder Treatment Sent to Governor
HB 1071 was sent to the Governor’s office on Tuesday after being passed by the Senate. The bill would add community health centers to the list of provider types exempt from receiving certification from the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) in order to provide substance use disorder treatment and recovery services to patients. Language supported by ODMHSAS would continue to require community health centers to maintain a certification requirement for more advanced services such as inpatient care (Levels of Care 2.1 - 4 as described in the American Society of Addiction Medicine Criteria) that are not normally part of a health center's scope of services.
If Governor Stitt signs the bill or takes no action, it will become law with an effective date of November 1. Many thanks to bill sponsors Rep. Jeff Boatman and Sen. Brenda Stanley and community health center advocates.
FCC $250 Million Telehealth Program
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has
announced that the seven-day window to submit applications for funding under Round Two of its COVID Telehealth Program will run from 11:00 AM on Thursday, April 29 through 11:00 AM Thursday, May 6. Health centers are encouraged to apply, particularly because:
- The application will be fairly simple. Applicants must provide some basic data, but no extensive narratives are required.
- Given the scoring system that the FCC has established, health centers are well-positioned to be approved for funding – particularly those who applied in Round One (last spring/ summer) but were not funded.
- Applicants can receive up to $1 million to support 100% of the cost of services and supplies needed to expand telehealth.
Health centers—particularly those in rural areas and those who applied but did not receive funding from this program last year—will receive significant priority points, including:
- 15 points for applicants who applied but were not funded in round one last year
- 10 points for being an FQHC
- 10 points for serving a HPSA with a score of 13 or higher
- 5 points for serving a rural area
21st Century Cures Act Information Blocking Rules
After several delays, the information blocking provisions of the 21
st Century Cures Act went into effect April 5, 2021. The Cures Act prohibits information blocking in gaining access to patient records from other providers, connecting EHR systems to local health information exchanges, migrating from one EHR to another and linking EHRs with a clinical data registry. The Act also prohibits information blocking when patients want to access their medical records or send their records to another provider. The Act prevents electronic health information blocking practices and requires provider compliance. Here are some helpful resources to learn more: