Rep. Rita Fleming

Honoring doctors on March 30, National Doctors' Day.

Adopts the physical therapy licensure compact. Makes conforming amendments.

Establishes a definition of "virtual instruction" for purposes of determining a school corporation's basic tuition support using the average daily membership (ADM).

Allows a: (1) pharmacist; and (2) pharmacy technician under direct supervision; to administer an immunization for coronavirus disease. (Current law allows a pharmacist intern and pharmacist student who meets certain requirements to administer immunizations that pharmacists are allowed to administer.) Provides that a registered nurse may provide for the direct supervision of the pharmacist intern or pharmacist student who administers an immunization. Immunizations and prescriptions. Requires the Indiana board of pharmacy to adopt emergency rules concerning the administration of the influenza and coronavirus disease immunizations by July 1, 2021. Prohibits a pharmacy benefit manager from requiring a pharmacy to obtain a signature from an individual for a prescription or immunization during a public health emergency.

Beginning January 1, 2022, allows a home based vendor's food products to be: (1) sold in person or by telephone or the Internet; and (2) delivered by the vendor or a third party carrier to the end consumer. Requires the state department of health, the Indiana state board of animal health, and the Indiana state department of agriculture, in consultation with industry groups and food safety experts, to submit recommendations concerning home based vendors to the general assembly.

Urging health insurers to donate some of their increased net earnings to state and local health departments to support COVID-19 vaccination programs.

Requires hospitals to offer to administer an influenza immunization to hospital patients who are 65 years of age or older and are discharged from the hospital from October 1 through March 1, unless the immunization is contraindicated or is not available. Changes the date through which a health facility is required to administer or make available an influenza immunization from February 1 to March 1.

Recognizing January 11th as Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

Allows a provider that has entered into a contract with a managed care organization, after exhausting any internal procedures of the managed care organization for provider grievances and appeals, to request an administrative appeal within the office of Medicaid policy and planning of the managed care organization's action in denying or reducing reimbursement for claims for covered services provided to an applicant, pending applicant, conditionally eligible individual, or member. Establishes a procedure for an administrative appeal, including a hearing before an administrative law judge that could be followed by agency review and then by judicial review. Prohibits a provision in a contract between a provider and a managed care organization that would negate or restrict the right of a provider to an administrative appeal and provides that such a contract provision is void and unenforceable. Repeals a provision under which Medicaid law is controlling when Medicaid law conflicts with insurance law. Provides that if the office of the secretary of family and social services or a contractor of the office fails to pay or denies a clean claim for any eligible Medicaid service within certain time limits due to the office or contractor incorrectly processing the clean claim because of errors attributable to the internal system of an insurer or managed care organization, the office or contractor may not assert that the provider failed to meet the time filing requirements for the claim.

Makes the following changes to IC 7.1: (1) Allows a farm winery to provide complimentary samples at a farmers' market. (2) Allows small brewers and artisan distillers to sell their products for carryout at a farmers' market with the approval of the alcohol and tobacco commission (commission). (3) Creates a liquor bottler's permit with an annual permit fee of $2,000. (4) Creates a direct liquor seller's permit with an annual permit fee of $500 for a liquor manufacturer that wants to sell and ship liquor directly to Indiana consumers. (5) Allows a farm winery to sell to consumers in an outside area contiguous to the licensed premises. (6) Allows a farm winery or an artisan distillery to directly distribute to a retailer or dealer. (7) Allows a drug store, small brewery, farm winery, or artisan distillery to deliver alcoholic beverages to a customer in the parking lot or an adjacent area.