Bill Text: NH HB1701 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Relative to specialty care in drop-in or walk-in clinics.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (N/A - Dead) 2016-07-27 - Died on Table [HB1701 Detail]

Download: New_Hampshire-2016-HB1701-Introduced.html

---

HB 1701-FN - AS INTRODUCED

 

2016 SESSION

16-2973

01/10

 

HOUSE BILL 1701-FN

 

AN ACT relative to specialty care in drop-in or walk-in clinics.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. Hannon, Straf. 25

 

COMMITTEE: Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

ANALYSIS

 

This bill clarifies licensure for facilities offering specialty care for drop-in or walk-in patients.  

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

16-2973

01/10

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Sixteen

 

AN ACT relative to specialty care in drop-in or walk-in clinics.

 

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 

1  Health Facility Licensing; Walk-In Care Centers.  Amend RSA 151:2, I(d) to read as follows:

(d)  Facilities or portions of a facility operating as an outpatient rehabilitation clinic, ambulatory surgical center, hospice, emergency medical care center, drop-in or walk-in care center not located at a specialty care physicians' office or related facility, dialysis center, birthing center, or other entity where health care associated with illness, injury, deformity, infirmity, or other physical disability is provided, whether operated for profit or for free or at a reduced cost, however named, and whether owned by a hospital or hospital holding corporation or operated as part of a hospital's services.

2  Health Facility Licensing; Exemptions.  Amend RSA 151:2, II(e) to read as follows:

(e)  Physicians' offices and related facilities, including those providing drop-in or walk-in specialty care by or under the supervision of a physician at such office or related facilities.

3  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect January 1, 2017.

 

LBAO

16-2973

Revised 2/11/16

 

HB 1701-FN- FISCAL NOTE

 

AN ACT relative to specialty care in drop-in or walk-in clinics.

 

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

The Department of Health and Human Services states this bill, as introduced, may decrease state revenue and expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2017 and each year thereafter.  There will be no impact on county and local revenue or expenditures.

 

METHODOLOGY:

The Department of Health and Human Services states this bill exempts physicians' offices and related facilities from licensure requirements under RSA 151:2, even if those facilities offer drop-in or walk-in specialty care.  Currently, RSA 151:2, I(d) requires licensure of drop-in or walk-in care centers, while RSA 151:2, I(e) exempts physicians' offices and related facilities from licensure, but is silent on whether this exemption relates to those offices and facilities providing walk-in care.  The Department states it has historically interpreted these statutes to mean physicians' offices that accept walk-in patients must be licensed. The Department, through administrative rule (He-P 806), has defined "walk-in patient" as a person who does not have an established patient/physician relationship with the physician, does not intend to establish such a relationship, and goes to the physician's office without an appointment and receives treatment.  Hence, under the definition contained in administrative rule, if a physician limits walk-in patients to those with whom he or she has an existing patient/physician relationship, the practice would not need to be licensed as a walk-in clinic.  The Department states by exempting all physicians' offices from licensure, regardless of whether they offer services to walk-in patients, the bill may decrease state revenue by a small but indeterminable amount due to a decrease in the number of physicians' offices paying annual license fees.  The bill may also decrease state expenditures by a small but indeterminable amount since the Department would no longer have to inspect these offices.   

 

The Office of Professional Licensure and Certification states this bill will have no fiscal impact.