An Act To Prohibit Interference With The Professional Judgment And Clinical Decisions Of Licensed Health Care Professionals As Recommended By The Commission To Evaluate The Scope Of Regulatory Review And Oversight Over Health Care Transactions That Impact The Delivery Of Health Care Services In The State

This Maine bill creates a new law that prohibits anyone from interfering with, controlling, or directing the clinical decisions of licensed health care professionals who have independent practice authority. The law specifically bans using discipline, threats, retaliation, or excessive pressure to dictate how much time providers spend with patients, when they must discharge patients, and which diagnoses or billing codes are used in medical records. These protections apply to interactions involving hospitals, clinics, and other health care entities, though nursing facilities are explicitly excluded from the definition of covered entities. The measure was introduced to implement a recommendation from a state commission evaluating regulatory oversight over health care transactions.