Two bills passed both the house and the senate
May 7, 2010The legislative session is over. We have good news and even better news. Our two bills passed.
S.B. 248 – AN ACT CONCERNING ADVERSE EVENTS AT HOSPITALS AND OUTPATIENT SURGICAL FACILITIES. The legislation aims to provide better information to patients and the public regarding the occurrence of adverse events, including health care -related infections, in Connecticut hospitals and gives the Department of Public Health new enforcement authority. It requires DPH to conduct regular audits and prepare an annual adverse event report with specific contextual information about the hospital and outpatient facility so that the public can make more informed decisions about where and how to receive care. Senator McDonald offered an amendment that allows the individual who files a complaint with the DPH a greater role while that complaint is processed. This amendment could make an enormous difference and I will work with Senator McDonald on the implementatiion of the amendment.
S.B. 270 – AN ACT CONCERNING THE PROHIBITION OF CERTAIN GIFTS FROM PHARMACEUTICAL AND MEDICAL DEVICE MANUFACTURING COMPANIES TO HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.
It was attached as an amendment to a health department bill and as the Attorney General Office staff person said “This is an incredible win.” We have been working on accoutability and transparency for four years and I thought for sure we would fail to see it called to the Senate floor. Because there is federal legislation that requires disclosure of pharmaceutical company payments to physicians, Senate Bill 270 addressed the conduct of the interactions between the sales rep and the physicians. We were asking the companies to adopt a code of ethics and were putting in place the ability of our Attorney General to fine under the Unfair Trade Practices Act. Our organization is celebrating five years of hard work and what has come out of those five years is a determined group of consumers with increasing knowledge of the industries making up health care. We have allies that we did not have before and a knowledge of the process that will help us make change happen. Your stories keep us moving forward – it makes us credible and forceful so thank you for all that you do to make it possible to hold our truth up to their power. The legislative session is over. We have good news and
even better news. Our two bills passed.
S.B. 248 – AN ACT CONCERNING ADVERSE EVENTS AT HOSPITALS AND OUTPATIENT SURGICAL FACILITIES. The legislation aims to provide better information to patients and the public regarding the occurrence of adverse events, including health care -related infections, in Connecticut hospitals and gives the Department of Public Health new enforcement authority. It requires DPH to conduct regular audits and prepare an annual adverse event report with specific contextual information about the hospital and outpatient facility so that the public can make more informed decisions about where and how to receive care. Senator McDonald offered an amendment that allows the individual who files a complaint with the DPH a greater role while that complaint is processed. This amendment could make an enormous difference and I will work with Senator McDonald on the implementatiion of the amendment.
S.B. 270 – AN ACT CONCERNING THE PROHIBITION OF CERTAIN GIFTS FROM PHARMACEUTICAL AND MEDICAL DEVICE MANUFACTURING COMPANIES TO HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.
It was attached as an amendment to a health department bill and as the Attorney General Office staff person said “This is an incredible win.”
It was attached as an amendment to a health department bill and as the Attorney General Office staff person said “This is an incredible win.”
We have been working on accoutability and transparency for four years and I thought for sure we would fail to see it called to the Senate floor. Because there is federal legislation that requires disclosure of pharmaceutical company payments to physicians, Senate Bill 270 addressed the conduct of the interactions between the sales rep and the physicians. We were asking the companies to adopt a code of ethics and were putting in place the ability of our Attorney General to fine under the Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Our organization is celebrating five years of hard work and what has come out of those five years is a determined group of consumers with increasing knowledge of the industries making up health care. We have allies that we did not have before and a knowledge of the process that will help us make change happen. Your stories keep us moving forward – it makes us credible and forceful so thank you for all that you do to make it possible to hold our truth up to their power.