Healthcare (Long-Term Care)

HB 361, the Alabama Living Donor Protection Act, prohibits insurers from denying or limiting disability, life, or long-term care insurance coverage to living organ donors. It requires public employers (state/local government) to provide up to 80 hours of paid medical leave for employees donating organs, with no retaliation allowed. Private employers offering similar paid leave (minimum 80 hours or 15 days) qualify for a 25% tax credit (capped at $2,000 annually) for tax years starting in 2027. The bill directly affects organ donors, insurers, public employees, and private sector employers. It aims to remove financial barriers to donation through concrete protections and incentives.

SB 143 removes the expiration date (August 31, 2028) for three assessments on nursing home beds in Alabama, making them permanent. These include a supplemental privilege assessment, a secondary supplemental privilege assessment, and a monthly surcharge per bed. The bill ensures nursing facilities will continue paying these costs, and they remain fully included in Medicaid reimbursement rates for nursing homes. This directly affects all Alabama nursing facilities participating in Medicaid, as their reimbursement rates will continue to account for these assessments.

HB 364 requires doctors and nurse practitioners to discuss specific opioid risks with patients before prescribing an initial and third prescription for Schedule II opioids or opioid pain medications. The discussion must cover addiction risks, alternatives to opioids, dangers of mixing opioids with alcohol or sedatives, and dependence risks, with providers documenting this in medical records. It does not apply to cancer patients in active treatment, hospice/palliative care patients, long-term care residents, or those prescribed opioids for substance abuse treatment. The bill affects healthcare providers and patients receiving opioid prescriptions for acute or chronic pain, aiming to improve informed decision-making.