This bill requires hospitals to obtain written permission from patients before performing pelvic exams for educational purposes on patients who are unconscious (e.g., under anesthesia). It directly affects hospitals, medical staff, and patients undergoing such exams during medical training. The key provision mandates that hospitals create written policies ensuring patients provide explicit, prior consent for these specific exams. The law, now Wisconsin Act 22, applies to all facilities conducting such educational procedures on unconscious individuals.
AB 23 establishes a 22-member Palliative Care Council within the Department of Health Services to advise on palliative care policy. The council includes physicians, nurses, patient advocates, insurers, and legislators, with specific requirements for geographic and program-type representation (e.g., community-based vs. hospital-based care). It will evaluate palliative care programs, advise on reimbursement mechanisms, and report biennially to the legislature on access and impact. The bill explicitly excludes physician-assisted suicide and similar topics from the council’s advisory scope. This bill directly affects palliative care providers, patients, insurers, and state health agencies through structured policy guidance.
SB 383 requires hospitals to publish clear pricing information for "shoppable services" (like surgeries and imaging) in a machine-readable format, including standard charges, negotiated rates with insurers, and discounted cash prices. This applies to all hospitals not specifically exempted (e.g., psychiatric or correctional facilities) and aims to help patients compare costs before receiving care. The bill also includes restrictions on certain aggressive debt collection practices against patients and establishes penalties for noncompliance with transparency requirements.
AB 353 requires hospitals to provide clear, upfront pricing for services and restricts certain aggressive debt collection tactics against patients. It directly affects hospitals by mandating transparent cost disclosures and patients by limiting how debt collectors can pursue unpaid medical bills. Key provisions include requiring hospitals to publish standard charges and prohibiting collectors from garnishing wages or threatening lawsuits for small amounts. The bill also establishes penalties for violations of these transparency and debt collection rules. This legislation aims to make healthcare costs more understandable and protect patients from excessive collection practices.
AB 127 modifies pharmacy laws regarding the dispensing of lawfully prescribed contraceptives. It allows pharmacists to refuse dispensing for reasons of conscience but requires them to immediately transfer the prescription to another pharmacy at the patient’s direction without delay. This directly affects pharmacists in community and hospital settings who dispense contraceptives, ensuring patients can access their prescribed medication without unnecessary delays. The bill specifies that refusals cannot be based on prescription errors, potential fraud, or drug incompatibility, and clarifies that pharmacists must transfer prescriptions rather than deny service.
AB 418 requires long-term care facilities (including nursing homes and assisted living facilities) and hospitals to allow specific visitation during communicable disease outbreaks. It mandates that facilities permit at least one "essential visitor" (designated by the resident or their legal representative) or one "member of the clergy" for compassionate reasons like end-of-life care, grief support, or when a healthcare professional determines the visitor's presence benefits the patient. Facilities may deny visitation only if the visitor refuses to follow health protocols, poses a contagion risk, or the patient objects. The bill also creates a process for residents or families to file complaints if facilities violate these rules.
AB 382 requires health care providers to provide the same medical care to a child born alive during or after an abortion or attempted abortion as they would to any other newborn at that gestational age, including immediate hospital transport. It mandates reporting failures to comply with these requirements to law enforcement and imposes a Class H felony penalty for violations (excluding prosecution of the mother). The bill also allows affected individuals to sue for civil damages equal to three times the abortion cost plus emotional distress, while guaranteeing confidentiality for the woman involved and prohibiting contracts from being used as a defense in such lawsuits. This legislation directly affects abortion providers and hospitals performing such procedures, focusing on post-procedure medical obligations rather than restricting abortion access.
