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    Who are the NERD fund donors Mr Snyder?

    Raise the curtain.

    Universal Prior Authorization Efficiency?


    By JGillman, Section News
    Posted on Fri Jun 10, 2011 at 11:08:43 AM EST
    Tags: Kalamazoo, Doctors, Marleau, Schuitmaker, Michigan, Health Care, Universal Form, SB 429, SB 430 (all tags)

    Sometimes its the little things that really help.

    A press notice came in today bringing a little light to an efficiency crafted by a couple of Republicans; Senators Marleau, and Schuitmaker.  Marleau is a supporter of the E-tracking alternative I have encouraged in prior posts, that maintains access to cold medicine versus making them all prescription.  Apparently this new legislation would help to strip away some of the bureaucratic paperwork for insurance authorization and prescriptions.

    We like when bureaucracy is stripped away.  And more time available for doctors to spend with patients likely means keeping costs under control.

    Yeah, this is a bit of an encouraging cheer for the two Michigan senators for nibbling away at the edges on these issues. Gladly I cheer for more of the same. Reduce Red tape, and encourage free market ideas in all areas.  Often enough, bad decisions will be called out for what they are, but the little things like this are deserving of a little recognition.  So OK, I'm Game.

    The release is below the line.

    Newman, MSMS Applaud Marleau, Schuitmaker for Universal Prior Authorization Bills, Effort to Improve Patient Care

    Common Sense Health Care Reform Legislation to Cut Red Tape, Bureaucracy, Empower Doctors to Spend More Time with Patients

    LANSING -Michigan State Medical Society President Steven Newman, MD, today praised state Senators Jim Marleau (R-Lake Orion) and Tonya Schuitmaker (R-Lawton) for introducing bipartisan legislation responding to calls from Michigan physicians to improve patients' access to the best care by creating a universal prior authorization form for prescription drugs.  The bills will cut red tape and bureaucracy and will speed the delivery of health care.

    "Michigan physicians and their staffs want to be in the exam room with patients, not chained to their desks sorting through hundreds of different versions of the same basic paperwork," said Newman.  "By creating a universal prior authorization form, legislators send a clear message that they want physicians to be able to spend time with their patients and not filling out redundant forms."

    "We join families and physicians across Michigan in applauding Senators Marleau and  Schuitmaker for taking the critical first steps towards common sense health care reform that clears bureaucratic hurdles and red tape standing in the way of the best patient care."

    The Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) last month in Kalamazoo at their annual House of Delegates meeting passed a formal resolution calling for the creation of a universal prior authorization form to improve patients' access to the best care.

    The bills, SB 429 and SB 430 ask Michigan's Insurance Commissioner to create a single universal prior authorization form to replace the hundreds of different forms physicians and their staffs currently sort through every day to accomplish the same task.  The bipartisan legislation preserves the right of insurance companies to choose which drugs they cover under each plan and is cosponsored by numerous other Republicans and Democrats.

    I note the bills themselves are not yet readable online, and will post as I can.

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    Display: Sort:
    Indeed (none / 0) (#1)
    by archiespeck on Fri Jun 10, 2011 at 11:24:42 AM EST
    And kudos to you, Jason, for bringing this issue to light. It's hard enough to purchase cold medicine now without feeling like a criminal. It would have been infuriating to have to get a doctor involved every time I get the sniffles.

    Not bad. (none / 0) (#2)
    by KG One on Fri Jun 10, 2011 at 11:40:23 AM EST
    I like the idea of just having one form for health care workers to fill out, but I still have the same question I've had all along that no one wants to answer: Why do we even need the government's permission before we can purchase a legal product?

    It's already acknowledged that the overwhelming majority of people use OTC cold/allergy medicine for it's stated purpose.

    Do these same people promoting these e-tracking bills want us to get the government's permission before I fill up my gas tank with gas?

    After all, some nasty person might use it for something it wasn't intended for, like an insurance job. Tracking our gasoline usage and comparing it to a national database would help to cut down people using it for the wrong purpose.

    Or maybe the benevolent e-tracking proponents would like us to ask their permission before we make our next purchase at Bed, Bath and Beyond?
    You don't know what people will do after they browse through the cutlery department.

    Well?

    Ok, cool (none / 0) (#4)
    by Corinthian Scales on Fri Jun 10, 2011 at 12:42:36 PM EST
    If this works for scripts, why not implement that process on this?

    The process works in a similar way to a credit card system. Under the e-tracking system, pharmacists and retailers can refuse sale of these medications if a purchaser goes over the legal limit. The statewide system provides up-to-the-minute information on PSE purchases and allows law enforcement to identify those who are abusing the system. E-tracking is available at no cost to Michigan taxpayers.

    I mean, we're only talking some odd 4,400 retailers in play... good idea? bad?  already in place?

    • Great point! by KG One, 06/10/2011 01:05:18 PM EST (none / 0)
    These bills have nothing to do with sinus medicine (none / 0) (#5)
    by goppartyreptile on Fri Jun 10, 2011 at 12:54:50 PM EST
    They are requiring all insurance companies in MI to adopt the same form for non-preferred drugs prescribed by doctors... aka, the doctor wants to give you drug X, but the insurance company doesn't want you to have it, so the doctor has to jump through a bunch of hoops to get it.

    And the first hoop is the myriad of forms required.

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