Healthcare

in committee · North Carolina · House Apr 3, 2025

HB 672: Physician Assistants Omnibus/Team-based/Compact.

HB 672 creates a new "team-based practice" model for physician assistants (PAs) in North Carolina, allowing them to practice without direct physician oversight under specific conditions. To qualify, PAs must have over 4,000 hours of clinical experience (including 1,000+ hours in their specialty) and work in practices meeting defined criteria, such as physician ownership and collaborative care structures. The bill revises licensing rules to remove the requirement for PAs in these settings to provide a supervising physician’s contact information, while maintaining supervision requirements for perioperative services. This directly affects PAs seeking to work in team-based medical practices, including hospitals and clinics meeting the new standards.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRemoves direct physician oversight requirement for PAs under team-based models, expanding access to care through increased practice autonomy in defined clinical settings.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Medical Licensing

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in committee · North Carolina · House Apr 3, 2025

HB 721: Muddy Sneakers/St. Gerard House.

HB 721 appropriates $500,000 from the General Fund to fund Muddy Sneakers, Inc.'s fifth-grade science programs, which provide hands-on field instruction aligned with state science standards. It also allocates $2.75 million to St. Gerard House to support its autism treatment programs. The funding is designated for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, with the Muddy Sneakers funds being recurring and the St. Gerard House grant nonrecurring. The bill directly affects fifth-grade students in North Carolina public schools and individuals receiving autism services through St. Gerard House.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $500k and $2.75M from General Fund for education and autism programs, directly advancing public service funding per appropriations language.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationFunds fifth-grade science programs aligned with state standards and autism treatment programs, directly advancing educational access and student support in K-12 settings.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill allocates $2.75M for autism treatment programs, directly funding mental health services under the mental health subject.90% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

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in committee · North Carolina · House Apr 3, 2025

HB 664: Eliminate PET Scanners from Certificate of Need Review.

HB 664 removes positron emission tomography (PET) scanners from North Carolina's Certificate of Need (CON) review process. This means healthcare facilities seeking to purchase PET scanners will no longer need state approval through the CON program. The bill specifically repeals a section of state law (G.S. 131E-176(16)f1.8) that previously required this review. The change directly affects hospitals and medical centers planning to acquire PET scanning equipment. This is a procedural adjustment to reduce regulatory requirements for a specific medical technology.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRemoves regulatory barrier for PET scanner acquisition, facilitating healthcare facility access to medical equipment and improving diagnostic service availability.85% confidence

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in committee · North Carolina · House Apr 3, 2025

HB 714: Universal Healthcare.

HB 714 creates a state-run universal healthcare benefit plan administered by North Carolina's Commissioner of Insurance. It requires the plan to offer sliding-scale premiums based on household income, covering residents whose incomes exceed Medicaid eligibility but who cannot afford private insurance. The bill mandates the Commissioner to develop the plan by January 1, 2026, with a report to the legislature detailing implementation steps. It also appropriates $100,000 for initial planning in the 2025-2026 fiscal year and ensures coverage meets or exceeds federal Affordable Care Act standards.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $100,000 for healthcare plan development, funding a public service expansion under state budget95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates state-run universal healthcare plan with sliding-scale premiums for uninsured residents above Medicaid, expanding coverage to a new demographic.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Medicaid

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in committee · North Carolina · House Apr 3, 2025

HB 673: Neonatal Transport Assistance.

HB 673 provides $656,000 annually from the state General Fund to cover transportation costs for neonatal patients in the UNC Health Care System when insurance denies coverage for ambulance services or mileage. It directly affects newborns requiring critical transport between UNC hospitals and their families, ensuring timely care without financial barriers from insurance denials. The bill requires the UNC Board of Governors to submit annual reports tracking funds used, number of transports covered, and effectiveness. This is a funding mechanism to fill coverage gaps, not a change to insurance rules, and takes effect July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $656,000 annually from state General Fund for neonatal transport, increasing public service funding under budget appropriations.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllocates $656k state funds to cover neonatal transport costs denied by insurance, removing financial barriers to critical healthcare access for newborns.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Children's Health Hospitals

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died · North Carolina · House Apr 3, 2025

HB 750: Community Health Center Grants for Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives.

HB 750 appropriates $2.5 million annually (2025-2027) to fund grants for nonprofit community health centers in North Carolina. These grants enable centers to purchase and distribute long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), such as IUDs or implants, specifically for underserved, uninsured, or low-income patients. LARCs are defined as FDA-approved, temporary contraceptive methods requiring no daily user action (e.g., pills) and a prescription. The bill establishes a competitive grant process administered by the Department of Health and Human Services, targeting expanded access to these contraceptives without altering existing patient eligibility rules.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $2.5M annually for health center grants, directly increasing public funding for essential healthcare services under budgeting subjects.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds community health centers to provide LARCs for underserved patients, expanding access to contraceptive care and supporting public health services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Primary Care

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in committee · North Carolina · House Apr 3, 2025

HB 736: Pharmacists/Test and Treat.

HB 736 allows North Carolina pharmacists to perform simple tests (like for flu, COVID-19, or strep throat) and provide treatment for those conditions using approved medications, within specific guidelines. It requires health insurance plans to cover these pharmacist-provided services if they would cover the same service from a doctor or nurse, and ensures pharmacists aren't excluded from provider networks solely because they are pharmacists. Pharmacists cannot treat conditions with controlled substances (Schedules I-IV) and must follow statewide protocols for patient referrals. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, expanding pharmacist roles to improve access to basic care.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands pharmacist scope for testing/treatment, mandates insurance coverage parity, improving patient access to primary care services without physician referral.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Insurance

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in committee · North Carolina · House Apr 7, 2025

HB 758: Mind and Heart Haven Project/Funds.

HB 758 appropriates $100,000 from the state General Fund for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to provide a directed grant to Agency for Families in Distress, Inc. This funding supports "The Mind and Heart Haven Project," which aims to address mental health needs in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, and North Carolina. The bill directly affects the nonprofit organization and the communities it serves by providing dedicated resources for mental health services. The grant is nonrecurring and becomes effective July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $100,000 from state General Fund to fund mental health services, directly advancing public service funding through budget allocation.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllocates $100k grant to fund mental health services via nonprofit for community mental health initiatives in Forsyth County.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

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in committee · North Carolina · House Apr 7, 2025

HB 766: Expand Access to Teen Mental Health First Aid.

HB 766 appropriates $1.87 million to fund expanded Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) training for North Carolina high school students in grades 9-12 (ages 14-18). The bill directly affects students by providing evidence-based training to help them recognize, understand, and respond to peers' mental health and substance use challenges. Key provisions include funding for the Department of Health and Human Services to scale up tMHFA programs statewide, building on a pilot that trained 1,519 teens and showed a 50% increase in teens' willingness to seek adult support. The training focuses on connecting peers to trusted adults during crises, addressing high rates of unmet mental health needs among teens (64% don’t seek help, per the bill’s rationale).

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $1.87M for teen mental health training via state budget, directly increasing public service funding under appropriations.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationFunds $1.87M for high school mental health training (grades 9-12), directly enhancing student support programs within K-12 education per bill's purpose.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds $1.87M for teen mental health training, directly expanding access to mental health services for minors through school-based programs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Student Health Mental Health

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in committee · North Carolina · House Apr 8, 2025

HB 796: The Student Mental Health Line Awareness Act.

HB 796, the Student Mental Health Line Awareness Act, requires all North Carolina public schools serving grades 6-12 to print three specific suicide prevention contact numbers on new student identification cards. The mandated information includes the 988 Lifeline (call/text), Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741), and the NC Statewide Warmline (1-855-733-7762), displayed prominently on the ID. Schools must verify these numbers are current annually and use updated contact information. The bill applies to local school boards, charter schools, regional schools, and laboratory schools, but explicitly states it does not require issuing student IDs. It takes effect for the 2025-2026 school year.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates suicide prevention resources on student IDs in public schools, enhancing student mental health support within K-12 educational setting.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates inclusion of suicide prevention contacts on student IDs to improve access to mental health crisis services, directly supporting mental health access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health Mental Health

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