This bill establishes minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios across various hospital units, requiring hospitals to submit annual staffing plans that specify the maximum number of patients each registered nurse can care for during a shift. It also grants registered nurses the right to refuse work assignments that violate these staffing standards and prohibits mandatory overtime for nurses. Hospitals must create staffing committees with a majority of frontline nurses, post their staffing plans publicly, and maintain detailed records of actual staffing levels for at least three years. The bill includes penalties for non-compliance, including fines for failing to submit plans or follow corrective actions after violations are confirmed.
This bill establishes minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios for various hospital units, such as limiting registered nurses to no more than four patients in emergency units or two patients in intensive care units. It requires hospitals to create and publicly post annual staffing plans that include input from nursing staff, maintain detailed records of actual staffing levels, and establish committees with a majority of frontline nurses to oversee staffing decisions. The legislation also grants registered nurses the right to refuse work assignments that violate these ratios and prohibits mandatory overtime for nurses. Hospitals that fail to comply with staffing requirements or submit plans by the deadline face financial penalties, including a $25,000 forfeiture for missing deadlines and daily fines for non-compliance with corrective action plans.
This bill aims to protect patients from unexpected medical bills by establishing rules for how health insurance plans must handle emergency care and services provided by out-of-network providers. It requires insurance plans to cover emergency medical services without prior authorization and ensures that cost-sharing amounts for out-of-network emergency care are no higher than what would apply for in-network care. Additionally, the bill mandates that plans pay out-of-network providers directly for services rendered at participating facilities and counts patient cost-sharing payments toward in-network deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums. These provisions apply to defined network plans, preferred provider plans, and self-insured governmental plans that have networks of participating providers.
SB 183 modifies reimbursement rules for emergency medical services under Wisconsin's Medical Assistance program. It sets a maximum $175 reimbursement rate for emergency responders when patients are not transported to a hospital. The bill also requires reporting on changes to emergency medical responder scope of practice and updates eligibility for the expenditure restraint incentive program. These changes directly affect emergency medical service providers billing the Medical Assistance program.
Assembly Bill 11 mandates that hospitals must obtain written informed consent from a patient before a pelvic examination is performed solely for educational purposes while the patient is under general anesthesia or otherwise unconscious. This bill creates a new statute requiring hospitals to ensure this consent is secured. Additionally, it directs hospitals to establish and maintain written policies and procedures that enforce this requirement for educational pelvic exams on unconscious patients.
SB 243 changes the age limit for safely surrendering infants under Wisconsin's safe haven law from 72 hours to 30 days. This means parents can now safely surrender a baby at a hospital or emergency facility within the first 30 days of life, instead of only the first 3 days. The bill updates three key statutes (48.195, 48.355, and 48.415) to reflect this extended timeframe, ensuring the surrender process aligns with the new age window. It directly affects parents seeking to relinquish custody safely and the child welfare system handling these surrenders.
AB 115 creates a new youth behavioral health program under Wisconsin's Medical Assistance program to coordinate care for individuals under 21 with complex behavioral health needs. The bill requires collaboration between the Department of Health Services, Children's Services, Education, and county agencies to provide specific services like mobile crisis response, home-based treatment, inpatient care, and substance use services. It mandates regional care coordination through community organizations or counties and grants the Department rule-making authority to set standards for providers. The program aims to keep families supported in communities while reducing reliance on institutional care, with funding tied to Medical Assistance reimbursement.
SB 417 establishes rules for allowing essential visitors and clergy to visit residents in long-term care facilities (like nursing homes) and hospitals during communicable disease outbreaks. It requires facilities to permit at least one designated essential visitor (such as a family member or legal guardian) or clergy member in specific compassionate situations, including end-of-life care, grief support, or when a health professional determines the visitor’s presence benefits the patient. Facilities may deny visitation only if the visitor refuses safety protocols, poses a contagion risk, or the patient declines the visit. The bill also creates a process for residents to file complaints if facilities violate these rules and provides liability protection for facilities following the policy.
SB 384 requires health care providers to provide the same standard of care and immediate hospital transport for any child born alive after an abortion or attempted abortion, as they would for any newborn of the same gestational age. Violating these requirements is a Class H felony, but the mother cannot be prosecuted for the incident. The bill also allows affected women to seek triple the cost of the abortion as civil damages, plus attorney fees, while protecting their identity through court confidentiality orders. It explicitly states the law does not create or recognize a right to abortion.
SB 83 creates exceptions to prior authorization requirements for antipsychotic drugs under the state's Medical Assistance program (Medicaid). It specifies four situations where prior approval isn't needed for recipients aged 18+: if the drug was previously approved at a different dose, the recipient was recently enrolled after 30 days of continuous use, prior authorization expired after 60 days of continuous use, or the recipient was stabilized on the drug after a recent hospital discharge. The bill does not override federal Medicaid rules. It directly affects Medicaid recipients prescribed antipsychotic medications who meet these specific criteria.
