2000

HB979 - Passed
Code of Virginia §54.1-2952

Physician Assistant Practice in Emergency Departments. Secured the ability of physician assistants to work in hospital emergency departments under the supervision of an emergency physician.

HB1171 - Defeated

Blood Alcohol Content: Would have requried emergency physicians, at the request of law enforcement officers, to draw blood samples without patient consent, prior to establishing probable cause.
 

                    1999

HB 871- Defeated.

Assignment of Benefits; prohibition on Balance Billing. Would have required HMOs to accept a patient's assignment of benefits to a nonparticipating provider, however balance billing those patients would be prohibited.

                    1997

HB2062 - Passed
Code of Virginia §38.2-4312.3

Patient Access to Emergency Services. An HMO must 1) provide 24/7 access to medical care; 2) reimburse hospitals and emergency physicians (less applicable co-pays, deductibles, or co-insurance) for medical screening and stabilization services rendered to meet the requirement of EMTALA if the HMO or PCP directs or refers a member to use the hospital emergency facility, or fails to have a 24/7system in place; and 3) Evidence of Coverage shall include a description of procedures to be followed by the member for emerency services, including an explanation of the prudent layperson standard as defined in §38.2-4300. 

                    1995

HB2583 - Passed
Code of Virginia §38.2-4300

Prudent Layperson Definition of "Emergency Services". "Emergency services" means those health care services that are rendered by affiliated or nonaffiliated providers after the sudden onset of a medical condition that manifests itself by symptoms of sufficient severity, including severe pain, that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected by a prudent layperson who possesses an average knowledge of health and medicine to result in (i) serious jeopardy to the mental or physical health of the individiual, or (ii) danger of serious impairment of the individual's bodily functions, or (iii) serious disfunction of any of the individual's bodily organs, or (iv) in the case of a pregnant woman, serious jeopardy to the health of the fetus. Emergency services provided within the plan's service area shall include covered health care services from nonaffiliated providers only when delay in receiving care from a provider affiliated with the health maintenance organization could reasonably be expected to cause the enrollee's condition to worsen if left unattended.