H.B. 97 Medical Waste Amendments: transcript

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So this is a really simple bill. I actually, uh, ran it last year, but I didn't make it through the process. So this bill just allows a, a medical facility, when they give a medication, not a controlled substance, but an ointment or an eye drop, if they use it once in the medical facility, they can send that home with the patient. And with that, it saves costs and, and different things like that. So I'll keep it at that and love to answer any questions that anybody may have. Thank you. Okay.

Uh, I was just gonna note, this is a real thing when we give a single drop of something in the er and then they tell us to throws the thing away. This is a real thing. It's, I'm glad you're addressing this. Thanks.

Sorry. Afternoon, Maryanne Martin diu, tech Academy of Family Physicians. We love this bill. It's a great bill. Um, you know, I think we've all been in that position where you go to the hospital and you pay $400 for some ointment, and they do it twice, and then you walk out. Um, from a family physician perspective, a lot of times we are the ones that are seeing the patients afterwards for follow-up care. And if they walk out with a prescription, they're ill, whatever there is they recovering, maybe they don't fill that. And so this also allows for some continuity of care, which is really critical when someone's recovering from a procedure. So we wanna thank the sponsor.

Uh, yes, Mr. Chair. I would move that we favorably recommend, oh gosh, look at my Eyes. It'd probably be second sub 97, second Sub of house bill 97 out favorably to the Senate.

No, like I said, it's definitely a need. I'm glad it's this, uh, bills that's being run.

This is my, oh, there we go. So, HB 97 Medical Waste Amendments. This was a bill that I ran last year and it didn't make it through the process. So, um, refile it again this year to run it. So what the bill does is it allows facilities to give patients the unused por portion of a facility owned, uh, medication. So if you go in for, uh, surgery or procedure and they give you a, a bottle of eye drops or something like that, and it's unused, they, they squirt a couple drops in your eye, you can actually take this medication home with you, the unused portion of that. So some examples of that medication would be like topical antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, uh, dilation or glaucoma drop or, or an ointment. So that's what it does. So, so with that, it eliminates waste and saves patients money and, and, uh, I think that's probably the biggest thing. It applies to only low risk, um, procedure related medications that are commonly used for eye surgeries. And, uh, with that, I'll answer any questions that the committee might have.

Uh, thank you, Madam Chair. Uh, question for the sponsor. Um, can you just confirm that this won't apply to Propofol?

I would, I I would bet to say it won't apply to Propofol. Yes.

Because there's almost always some leftover, and it's a huge diversion problem as is. We don't wanna send the patient home with the extra prop. That's what Michael Jackson took. I Think, uh, Michael's milk is what it's also been nicknamed, I wasn't gonna bring that up, but, okay. Um, we know it's dangerous would not administered in a medical setting, so, um, just wanna make sure. I'll still vote for the bill, but I just wanna make sure that's, This doesn't apply to that. Okay, perfect. I'll take you for on your word for that.

Thank you. Thank you, Thank you. And I'll just ask another clarifying question.

So basically no controlled substances. That's correct.

At all. Okay. Okay. Awesome. All right.

Hi, Maryanne Martindale, Utah Academy Family Physicians. Um, we really like this bill. This is a great idea. Um, patients already pay for this, this medication. You all, we all know you go to the hospital, you get a procedure, you pay for a little bit of cream that do one little dob on, and then they, that cream's done. Um, it's, it also allows for continuity of care. A lot of times someone goes home from the hospital, they may not get to a pharmacy for a day or two or three or whatever. So we think this is a great idea. It's not controlled substances, which of course was our initial concern. Um, the kind of things that are be covered under this, I think is, it's great and it's gonna save money and time.

Can I, I just have one other question that I wanted to ask to the sponsor. Sure. So is this the, is the point to allow facilities to do this, or is the point to mandate that they must

It's to allow them to do it. So the, the first, I have a second sub to, uh, adopt as well, but the idea is to allow them to do this. So we actually, the first version was shall and we changed that to May.

Well then I would love to make a motion. Go ahead. Um, I'd like to move second substitute, uh, representative Bollinger's name.

Well, it sounds like his substitute had the thing in it that I wondered about from the underlying

I'll waive Thanks. Okay.

Yes. Uh, I would like to, uh, make a motion that we favorably recommend, um, house bill 97 second substitute medical waste amendments.

No. Thanks for the motion. Okay.

Waive.

Second substitute house bill 97 Medical waste amendments by Representative Bolinder. This bill was heard in Health and Human Services with the vote of 11 0 3.

Thank you Mr. Speaker, pro tem. Motion to move amendment one in my name.

Yes, I would. So this amendment just includes a coordinating clause with HB 3 0 1 and that's all the amendment does.

Yeah. Thank you Mr. Speaker Pro tem. So this bill allows certain medical facilities to give patients the unused portion of a medication when they go in for a procedure. And, uh, that's pretty much all the bill does with that. It saves them money. So if you go in for a simple procedure where you need glaucoma, eyedrops, or an ointment or something like that, you can take that unused portion home with you. So with that, I'd be happy to answer any questions.

I'll Waive thanks. Submission is waived.

Senator Vickers, Mr. President Pro Tem, uh,

house Bill 97 allows health facilities to give patients the remaining portion of certain medications to take home. Uh, when you go in, think about it. When you go into an emergency room or some kind of a facility like that and get treated, maybe an eye drop, uh, a topical ointment, uh, then there's medication left over. Instead of just discarding it, they, this gives them the option to give it to the patient so they can take home. And it requires the proper label labeling in accordance with the Pharmacy Practice Act. And, and uh, it requires the facility to give counseling so that when the patient leaves they know what to do with the medication. It is a good bill.

I would, uh, waive summation and move that second substitute. Bill 97 and be read a third time.

Anguish, president Pro Tem, uh, that could sponsor this bill and I've worked with him on a couple of, uh, occasions as well, has been trying to bring some balance into what a cost to, to provide ambulance care to individuals. So HB 2 69 uh, helps ensure that ambulance providers are paid accurately and predictably for the care that they already provide. So emergency services remain available when, when we need them. The HB 2 69 updates and stabilizes how ambulance services are reimbursed in Utah. It aligns payment rules with how emergency medical care is actually delivered, removes unnecessary statutory instability and maintains strong patient protections. Uh, some of the key points, it aligns the base rate with the real world emergency rate. It allows predictable, limited annual adjustments. It clarifies what providers may collect, and this is a key component. Ambulance providers may collect the base rate and the mileage rate and nothing beyond that structure. The bill eliminates ambiguity while providing, while preventing open-ended and add-on charges. Uh, it maintains the, the protections we're given in balanced billing. So it doesn't change anything or expand anything. With the exceptions that are involved in balanced billing, it removes unnecessary Sunset. Uh, the bill re this, the Bill repeals automatic repeal dates that would otherwise destabilize this, this ambulance reimbursement, it does not create new taxes. It does not appropriate new state funding and does not expand, expand balance billing, uh, I guess in closing, emergency medical care depends on predictability and we all have gone, kind of gone through that. I'm sure if you've had had that type of care and then dealt with the billing afterwards, the, the bill provides the predictability will while keeping patients protections firmly in place. So with that, Mr. President ProAm, I'm open for questions.

I would, uh, waive further summation. Move the second substitute house bill 2 69. Be read a third time.

Uh, if you are treated in an operating room or emergency department, an ambulatory surgical center, you're treated with like an eye drop or a anointment, something like that and there's, when you get through with that treatment on site and there's leftover medication, currently the facility would just have to throw it away. This bill would allow the provider to give it to you and we have to have the proper labeling and the counseling that goes with it and then you could take the balance of it home. Common sense approach that one. I'm open for questions.

Point of information We don't have a quorum right now. We are barely hanging on with 14.

I waive summation. Move the second substitute house bill 97 pass.