Unconscious patients in the ICU

HB 2789, the "Michael Brandon Cochran Act," requires West Virginia hospitals to administer a C-peptide test (which measures insulin-related proteins) to ICU patients who are unconscious or have blood sugar below 50 mg/dl, regardless of diabetes diagnosis. It also mandates post-mortem C-peptide testing for patients who died after showing symptoms like brain damage, seizures, or disorientation during ICU care. Hospitals failing to comply face a $10,000 penalty per violation. The bill creates a grant program to help hospitals cover testing costs and staff training, funded through state appropriations and private donations.