Adopted

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO 1 PROPOSED TO

House Bill No. 1439

BY: Committee

     Amend by striking all after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

 

     SECTION 1.  (1)  This section shall apply to patients in long-term care facilities, as defined in subsection (2) of this section.  It is the intent of the Legislature that the State of Mississippi shall be a "right-to-choose" state for the purposes of Medicaid and Medicare benefits, excluding Medicare Part A, and that patients of long-term care facilities shall have the same rights and privileges concerning pharmacy providers as participants or beneficiaries of health benefit plans.

     (2)  "Long-term care facility" means any skilled nursing facility, extended care home, intermediate care facility, personal care home or boarding home that is subject to regulation or licensure by the State Department of Health.

     (3)  A patient in a long-term care facility shall not be limited in his choice of a pharmacy or pharmacist provider if that provider meets the same standards of dispensing guidelines required of long-term care facilities.

     (4)  A long-term care facility may require that a patient or the person who normally makes health care decisions on behalf of the patient sign a document that identifies his pharmacy or pharmacist provider of choice and that releases the facility of any liability for the dispensing of the prescription until the facility accepts control of the dispensed drug.

     SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2007.

     Further, amend by striking the title in its entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

 

     AN ACT TO PROVIDE FREEDOM OF CHOICE OF PHARMACY PROVIDERS FOR PATIENTS IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.