Healthcare

passed · North Carolina · House May 7, 2025

HB 618: Ivermectin Access Act.

House Bill 618, the "Ivermectin Access Act," directs the State Health Director to issue a statewide standing order that allows licensed pharmacists to dispense ivermectin for human use. Under this order, pharmacists would be authorized to provide ivermectin without requiring a written prescription or consultation from a healthcare professional. The bill also grants immunity from civil or criminal liability to the State Health Director for issuing the order and to any pharmacist who dispenses ivermectin in accordance with it. The State Health Director is required to issue this statewide standing order by October 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates pharmacists to dispense ivermectin without prescription, directly expanding patient access to medication per healthcare access indicator.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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passed · North Carolina · House May 7, 2025

HB 567: Ensure Access to Biomarker Testing.

HB 567, titled "Ensure Access to Biomarker Testing," mandates that North Carolina health benefit plans provide coverage for biomarker testing for the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of various diseases or conditions. This coverage is required when the testing is supported by medical and scientific evidence, such as FDA approval or nationally recognized clinical guidelines. The bill also prohibits insurers from denying coverage, raising premiums, or charging higher rates based on an individual's biomarker information. Additionally, it establishes a 24-hour timeline for insurers to complete utilization reviews for urgent healthcare services, aiming to improve access to diagnostic testing and care for North Carolinians.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates insurance coverage for evidence-based biomarker testing, prohibits denial/price hikes based on results - expands access and protects patient rights per bill text.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · North Carolina · House May 7, 2025

HB 297: Breast Cancer Prevention Imaging Parity.

HB 297, titled "Breast Cancer Prevention Imaging Parity," aims to ensure equal health insurance coverage for different types of breast cancer imaging. The bill mandates that health benefit plans apply the same cost-sharing requirements (like deductibles and copayments) for diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations, such as MRIs and ultrasounds, as they do for routine screening mammograms. This ensures individuals needing these additional medically necessary tests do not face higher out-of-pocket costs compared to standard screenings. It also maintains existing coverage for cervical cancer screenings and includes provisions for high-deductible health plans.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates equal cost-sharing for breast imaging (MRIs, ultrasounds) as mammograms, expanding patient access to necessary diagnostic care without higher out-of-pocket costs.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · North Carolina · House May 7, 2025

HB 681: Update Opioid Abatement Treatment Program Rules.

HB 681 directs the Commission for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services to update state rules for outpatient opioid treatment programs (OTPs). The bill aims to align these rules more closely with federal regulations governing medications for opioid use disorder, affecting patients receiving treatment and the OTPs providing care. Key changes include removing home environment stability as a criterion for take-home medication and prohibiting administrative discharge due to continued substance use or missed doses. It also reduces the frequency of required drug tests, removes observed testing, and allows OTPs to administer methadone to non-enrolled patients. The Commission must engage with clients and providers for input and publish the proposed amended rules by July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRemoves barriers to opioid treatment (home environment stability), aligning with federal standards to improve access and reduce recidivism through rehabilitation, supporting criminal justice reform.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRemoves home stability barrier for take-home meds and prohibits administrative discharge, improving patient access to opioid treatment under federal-aligned rules.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · North Carolina · House May 5, 2025

HB 139: Baby Boxes/Newborn Safety Device.

HB 139, titled "Baby Boxes/Newborn Safety Device," allows for the safe surrender of infants up to 30 days old using a specialized newborn safety device. This bill permits parents to place an infant in these devices, which must have a dual alarm system connected to the facility and be tested monthly. These devices can only be installed at continuously staffed emergency departments, emergency facilities, or social services offices, where qualified healthcare providers, first responders, or social services workers will take temporary custody of the infant. The act is set to become effective on October 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill creates healthcare facility-based safe surrender system for newborns, enhancing public health safety and aligning with health services/hospitals subjects.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · North Carolina · House May 1, 2025

HB 156: Increase Access for Small Employers/Insurance.

HB 156 sets minimum standards for stop loss, catastrophic, and reinsurance coverage provided to small employers in North Carolina. It directly affects small employers (defined as those with fewer than 12 eligible employees) and insurers selling these specific insurance products. The bill requires insurers to maintain a minimum annual attachment point of $20,000 per individual (adjusted annually using the Consumer Price Index) and a minimum aggregate attachment point of either 120% of expected claims or $20,000 per year. These standards apply to all new, renewed, or amended insurance contracts issued on or after October 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareSets minimum insurance standards (e.g., $20k attachment point) for small employers, directly improving coverage access and protecting against excessive out-of-pocket costs for healthcare services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · North Carolina · House Apr 30, 2025

HB 163: Pharmacy Benefits Manager Provisions.

HB 163 regulates Pharmacy Benefits Managers (PBMs) to ensure fair practices for pharmacies and insured individuals. The bill prohibits PBMs from charging insurers more for a prescription drug than they pay the pharmacy (spread pricing) and requires patient out-of-pocket costs to be based on the net price after any PBM concessions. It establishes minimum reimbursement standards for pharmacies, preventing PBMs from paying less than the national average drug acquisition cost plus a dispensing fee. Additionally, it clarifies that PBMs cannot restrict accredited pharmacies from dispensing specialty drugs and strengthens audit protections for pharmacies.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProhibits spread pricing and mandates fair reimbursement for pharmacies, lowering patient costs and ensuring access to medications within healthcare services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · North Carolina · House Apr 30, 2025

HB 107: Adopt Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) Awareness Week.

House Bill 107 designates the second week of November each year as Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) Awareness Week in North Carolina. Additionally, it encourages local boards of education to develop and offer seizure awareness training for school personnel who are responsible for students with epilepsy or who are otherwise predisposed to seizures. This training aims to provide school staff with information to support these students.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareDesignates SUDEP Awareness Week and mandates school seizure training, advancing public health education for epilepsy management.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · North Carolina · House Apr 30, 2025

HB 152: Access to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.

HB 152 aims to regulate how health benefit plans in North Carolina cover Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) services. If an insurer chooses to cover TMS, the bill requires them to cover all procedures performed by properly licensed healthcare providers, regardless of their medical specialty, as long as TMS is within their scope of practice. It prohibits insurers from penalizing providers solely based on their specialty when submitting TMS claims. However, the bill maintains that insurers retain discretion over whether to cover TMS, for which conditions, and at what reimbursement rates.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates insurer coverage of TMS procedures without specialty restrictions, expanding access to mental health services under health insurance regulations.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · North Carolina · House Apr 28, 2025

HB 592: Toxic-Free Medical Devices Act of 2025.

House Bill 592, known as the Toxic-Free Medical Devices Act of 2025, aims to prohibit the use of a chemical called DEHP in certain medical devices within North Carolina. Specifically, it bans the manufacturing, selling, and distributing of intravenous solution containers and intravenous tubing that are intentionally made with DEHP. The prohibition for IV solution containers takes effect on January 1, 2030, and for IV tubing on January 1, 2035. The bill also prevents replacing DEHP with other similar chemicals in these devices and sets limits for unintentionally present DEHP, while exempting certain blood-related products. Violations of these provisions could lead to administrative penalties.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBans DEHP, a hazardous chemical in medical devices, reducing environmental pollution and protecting public health through stricter hazardous substance regulation.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBans DEHP in medical devices to protect patient safety, directly addressing health services and medical equipment safety per bill summary and subjects.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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