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Minutes for SB438 - Committee on Public Health and Welfare
Short Title
Removing prior authorization requirements for medicaid recipients receiving treatment from certain mental and behavioral healthcare providers.
Minutes Content for Wed, Mar 14, 2018
Chairperson Schmidt introduced Inna Barbato, an Exchange Student from Naples, Italy attending Hayden High School, who is "shadowing" Chairperson Schmidt for the day.
Chairperson Schmidt opened the hearing on SB438.
Scott Abbott, Staff Revisor, gave an overview of the bill.
Kyle Kessler testified as a proponent of SB438. He stated that passage of SB438 is needed as current restrictions on medications are resulting in unnecessary visits to the emergency room, admission to state mental health hospital programs or incarceration. Having recently learned that KDHE is eliminating the "gold card" provider status, it prompted this request to be exempt from the prior authorization processes that may be pursued even more in the future than they are presently. (Attachment 1)
Committee members posed questions to Mr. Kessler.
Kristen Powell gave testimony in support of SB438, a bill that exempts Community Mental Health Centers from the burdensome prior authorization requirements for Medicaid patients who receive treatment at these centers. SB438 will help the Medicaid population stay adherent to their medication. Prior authorizations can take days and require approximately 60 minutes of staff time to submit and document each request. Each plan also has its own prior authorization form which further complicates the process. (Attachment 2)
Ms. Powell answered questions from committee members.
Dr. Laura Sidlinger gave supporting testimony of SB438 stating that SB438 will decrease barriers to high-quality specialty care for some of the most vulnerable Kansans. (Attachment 3)
Amy Campbell testified as a proponent of SB438 stating that the removal of prior authorization requirements for behavioral health medications would get important medications to people with mental illness and substance use disorders without interruption. It would also reduce the increasing need for staff to process prior authorizations rather than serving patients. (Attachment 4)
Ms. Campbell answered questions from committee members.
Submitting written testimony in support of SB438 was Brad Grinnage, Legislative Chair for the Kansas Psychiatric Society. (Attachment 5)
Dr. Greg Lakin deferred to Annette Grant, Kansas Medicaid Pharmacy Program Manager to present opponent testimony. Her testimony was not presented in written form to the committee.
Due to time constraints, Chairperson Schmidt requested that both Ms. Grant and Dr. Lakin return March 15, 2018 to continue the hearing on SB438.
