1 Keep in mind that bills passed by the Legislature are presented to the Governor for his signature. References in this report to bills that have passed do not mean they have become law; that does not occur until the Governor either signs the legislation or allows it to become law without his signature.
Despite the extremely difficult budget environment, the final budget level funded payment rates for E&M codes at 99% of Medicare. Our members lobbied for this issue during Advocacy Day in February, evidence that these efforts correlate to positive outcomes.
Funding for this integral program providing loan assistance to physicians who agree to serve for two years in underserved areas in exchange for loan repayment was held steady in the Budget at $3M.
The General Assembly added a 3% tax on data and information technology services to balance the budget. The implementation of this new tax over the coming months will be something we will monitor closely.
While this bill did not pass, it proposed to eliminate the current Naturopathic Formulary Council within the Board of Physicians, allow naturopaths to administer natural medicines via intramuscular, subcutaneous, and intravenous routes, and allow the prescribing of “prescription drugs” and Schedule III, IV, and V.
These bills proposed to eliminate the non-economic damages cap which limits awards to plaintiffs for pain and suffering. MDAFP opposed the legislation which did not pass, however, this bill will likely return again for a fourth straight year in 2026.
