ELIMINATE REFERENCES TO "INTRACTABLE" PAIN
House Bill 5263
Sponsor: Rep. Carl M. Williams
House Bill 5264
Sponsor: Rep. Lauren Hager
House Bill 5265
Sponsor: Rep. Andrew Raczkowski
Committee: Health Policy
Complete to 10-22-01
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILLS 5263, 5264, AND 5265 AS INTRODUCED 10-17-01
House Bills 5263, 5264, 5265, would amend provisions of the Public Health Code, the Insurance Code of 1956, and the Nonprofit Health Care Corporation Reform Act, to eliminate definitions of and references to "intractable" pain. Specifically, the bills would do the following:
House Bill 5263. Article 15 of the Public Health Code regulates health care occupations. Among other things, the article provides for the creation of a committee with certain responsibilities regarding pain and symptom management. The bill sets forth requirements for the composition of the committee, including a requirement that the committee include one registered professional nurse, one dentist, one pharmacist and one physician's assistant, all of whom must have training in the treatment of "intractable" pain. House Bill 5263 would amend Article 15 (MCL 333.16204a) to eliminate the requirement that these four members have training in the treatment of intractable pain, specifying instead that they had to have been trained in the treatment of pain.
House Bill 5264. Chapter 34 of the Insurance Code of 1956 regulates disability insurance policies and Chapter 36 of the code regulates group blanket disability insurance policies and family expense insurance policies. Chapter 22 of the code currently requires that an insurer that delivers, issues for delivery, or renews in this state an expense-incurred hospital, medical, or surgical policy or certificate issued under Chapters 34 or 36 provide a written form to an insured person upon enrollment. The form must describe the terms and conditions of the insurer's policies and certificates. Currently, the form must describe how the covered benefits apply in the evaluation and treatment of "intractable" pain, among other things. House Bill 5264 would eliminate the reference to intractable pain, specifying instead that the form had to describe how the covered benefits apply in the evaluation and treatment of pain. The bill would also eliminate the reference to intractable pain in a provision that allows individuals covered by such policies or certificates to request a description of the professional credentials of participating health professionals, including those who are board certified in the evaluation and treatment of intractable pain. Instead, a covered insured could request information on the professional credentials of participating health care professionals, including those who were board certified in the evaluation and treatment of pain.
House Bill 5265. The Nonprofit Health Care Corporation Reform Act requires, among other things, that a health care corporation provide a written form to subscribers upon enrollment that describes the terms and conditions of the corporation's certificate. Like the form described above, this form must describe how the covered benefits apply in the evaluation and treatment of "intractable" pain. House Bill 5265 would eliminate this reference to intractable pain, specifying instead that the form had to describe how the covered benefits applied in the evaluation and treatment of pain. Like House Bill 5264, the bill would also revise a provision that allows members for certain offered services to request a description of the professional credentials of participating health professionals, including those who are board certified in the evaluation and treatment of intractable pain. Instead, members could request a description of the professional credentials of participating health professionals, including those who were board certified in the evaluation and treatment of pain.
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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.