Sen. Vaneta Becker

Requires a monthly listing of telephone numbers of Indiana consumers who request not to be solicited by telephone to be established, maintained, and published (current law requires a quarterly listing). Provides that certain actions may not be brought more than five years after the occurrence of the deceptive act (current law provides that the action may not be brought more than two years after the occurrence of the deceptive act). Makes conforming changes.

Establishes a board to design, establish, and operate a state administered retirement program (program) that automatically enrolls specified private sector employees. Requires program compliance by certain employers that have not, in the previous two calendar years, offered a qualified retirement plan to employees. Specifies the powers and duties of the board. Specifies program requirements, including default contribution levels and program fees. Requires the board to contract with investment managers, private financial institutions, or other service providers to invest money and administer the program. Limits the liability of particular parties associated with the program. Specifies board requirements for disclosure, audits, and reports. Requires the board to adopt certain rules. Makes an appropriation.

Requires an insurer, a pharmacy benefit manager, or any other administrator of pharmacy benefits to ensure that a network utilized by the insurer, pharmacy benefit manager, or other administrator is reasonably adequate and accessible and file an annual report regarding the network with the commissioner of the department of insurance (commissioner). Sets forth certain limitations and requirements with respect to the provision of pharmacy or pharmacist services under a health plan. Allows any insured, pharmacy, or pharmacist impacted by an alleged violation to file a complaint with the commissioner. Provides that the commissioner may order reimbursement to any person who has incurred a monetary loss as a result of a violation. Requires, if a pharmacy benefit manger is used with regard to a state employee health plan, the state personnel department to either create a pharmacy benefit manager or contract with an insurer, a pharmacy benefit manager, or other administrator. Prohibits a third party administrator from: (1) requiring, as a condition of a plan sponsor entering into a contract with the third party administrator, that the plan sponsor enter into a contract with a particular pharmacy benefit manager; or (2) charging a different fee for services provided by the third party administrator to a plan sponsor based on the plan sponsor's selection of a particular pharmacy benefit manager. Urges the legislative council to assign to the appropriate study committee the task of studying the topic of contracts for pharmacy benefit coverage under the Medicaid program and a state employee health plan.

Requires certain entities authorized to participate in the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program to annually report specified data to the Indiana department of health (state department). Requires the state department to submit a report of the aggregated data to the legislative council and post the report on the state department's website.

Extends the expiration date of language specifying Medicaid reimbursement for certain out-of-state children's hospitals from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2027.

Allows certain individuals to take the examination for licensure as a social worker before having completed the bachelor's degree. Makes the following changes in regard to marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, addiction counselors, and clinical addiction counselors: (1) Provides that an individual must be licensed as an associate before obtaining the relevant experience hours, except in certain circumstances. (2) Amends provisions concerning experience hours and the expiration of a temporary license or permit. Removes certain provisions regarding first available examinations.

Specifies the process for a managed care organization to follow concerning home modification services. Requires a patient of an opioid treatment program (program) who has tested positive on a drug test to be given a random drug test monthly until the patient passes the test. (Current law requires the patient to be tested weekly.) Allows a program to close on Sundays and federal holidays. Prohibits the division of mental health and addiction from: (1) requiring a program's medical director to have admitting privileges at a hospital; and (2) establishing rules or guidelines concerning program admission and medication that are more stringent than federal regulations. Allows specified health care providers to perform the initial assessment, examination, and evaluation of a patient being admitted to a program. Allows the medical staff of an ambulatory outpatient surgical center to make recommendations on the granting of clinical privileges or the appointment or reappointment of an applicant to the governing board of the ambulatory outpatient surgical center for a period not to exceed 36 months. (Current law allows medical staff of hospitals to make recommendations.) Establishes the certified health care professions commission (commission). Sets forth the requirements for the: (1) certification of nurse aides and qualified medication aides; and (2) registration of home health aides. Specifies the duties of the Indiana department of health and the commission in regulating these professions. Relocates provisions concerning training for home health aides and requires the commission to approve the training. Sets forth requirements on facilities in employing nurse aides. Specifies the definition of "nurse aide" for purposes of an administrative rule. Makes changes to the release of medical information statute. Modifies the duties of the center for deaf and hard of hearing education. Adds provisions regarding "family navigators" and specifies the role of family navigators in the provisions of the bill regarding the center for deaf and hard of hearing education. Allows a prescriber to prescribe certain agonist opioids through telehealth services for the treatment or management of opioid dependence. (Current law allows only a partial agonist to be prescribed through telehealth.) Allows certain residential care administrators an exemption from taking continuing education during the initial licensing period. Allows for the provision of certain anesthesia in a physician's office or a podiatrist's office without the office being accredited. (Current law allows for this in dental offices.) Requires adverse events concerning anesthesia in an office based setting to be reported to the medical licensing board of Indiana (board). Requires the board to: (1) determine the types of adverse events to be reported; (2) establish a procedure for reporting; and (3) post the adverse events on the board's website. Creates a process for certain individuals who do not have a Social Security number and who are seeking licensure by examination as a registered nurse or practical nurse to obtain a provisional license. Requires a nursing program to offer a clinical experience for clinical hours in a hospital and a health facility setting.

Specifies the persons that may file an action to obtain an injunction against an individual practicing dentistry without a license and the action that is required or allowed to be included in an injunction. Specifies information that a dentist who maintains a dental office must submit to the state board of dentistry. States that language concerning the administration of dental anesthetics may not be construed to prohibit a physician from practicing in a dental office. Allows a dentist to delegate the authority to take x-ray images to a dental assistant working in certain correctional facilities without direct supervision as long as the dentist is available to supervise the dental assistant remotely. Removes certain language regarding the regulation of dentists.

Sets forth requirements for a utilization review entity that requires prior authorization of a health care service. Prohibits a utilization review entity from requiring prior authorization for the first 12 physical therapy or chiropractic visits of each new episode of care. Provides that a claim for reimbursement for a covered service or item provided to an insured or enrollee may not be denied on the sole basis that the referring provider is an out of network provider. Repeals superseded provisions regarding prior authorization. Makes corresponding changes.

Provides that a program may be established to provide grants to cancer centers in Indiana to increase breast cancer research projects or breast cancer clinical trials. Provides that a pediatric cancer research and treatment grant program may be established. Establishes the breast cancer research fund and the pediatric cancer research and treatment fund. Prioritizes use of the funds to be on innovative research and treatments with the potential of resulting in novel therapies for pediatric cancer. Requires the state department to submit an annual report to the governor and legislative council concerning the grant program and publish the report on the state department's website.