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89 new laws passed by the (Georgia) General Assembly during the last session go into effect today.

HB 509

To amend Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to professions and businesses, so as to change provisions relating to the regulation of physicians, acupuncture, physician's assistants, cancer and glaucoma treatment, respiratory care, clinical perfusionists, and orthotics and prosthetics practice; to provide for comprehensive revision to the regulation of such professions; to provide for definitions; to establish the Georgia Composite Medical Board to regulate physicians, acupuncturists, physician assistants, cancer and glaucoma treatment, respiratory care practice, clinical perfusionists, orthotics and prosthetics, and cosmetic laser services; to provide for the process of selection and removal to and from the board; to provide for the powers and duties of the board; to provide for the requirement of an oath of office for board members; to provide for the election of officers of the board; to provide for allowances for the board members; to provide for a chairperson of the board; to provide for powers and duties of the chairperson; to provide for peer review of certain medical professionals; to require individuals regulated under Chapter 34 of said title to notify the board upon the conviction of a felony; to provide for the suspension and reinstatement under certain circumstances of a license, permit, or certificate granted under Chapter 34; to provide for the renewal of a license, permit, or certificate granted under Chapter 34; to provide for a short title; to provide that a license is required to practice medicine; to provide for certain standards, conditions, and requirements to practice medicine; to provide for the delegation of certain duties from physicians to nurses or physician assistants; to provide penalties for practicing medicine without a license; to provide for the delegation of tasks involving polysomnography; to require a license to practice acupuncture; to provide certain standards, conditions, and requirements to practice acupuncture; to provide for a penalty for practicing acupuncture without a license; to require a license to act as a physician assistant; to provide certain standards, conditions, and requirements prior to licensure as a physician assistant; to provide for certain responsibilities for physician assistants; to provide for the review of physician assistants; to require certification to practice respiratory care; to provide certain standards, conditions, and requirements prior to certification as a respiratory therapist; to provide a penalty for practicing respiratory care without certification; to require a license to act as a clinical perfusionist; to provide for a temporary license to act as a clinical perfusionist; to provide for certain standards, conditions, and requirements prior to licensure as a clinical perfusionist; to provide a penalty for acting as a clinical perfusionist without a license; to require a license to practice orthotics and prosthetics; to provide for certain standards, conditions, and requirements prior to licensure to practice orthotics and prosthetics; to provide for a penalty for practicing orthotics and prosthetics without a license; to revise laws relating to cosmetic laser services; to amend various other titles of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated for purposes of conformity; to provide that a physician assistant can make a pronouncement of death under certain circumstances for purposes of vital records; to provide for related matters; to provide for a contingency and effective dates; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes....

Obama administration has made healthcare reform a top priority

Of the $787 billion in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), roughly $150 billion is directed to healthcare. A big chunk of this amount is slated for 2 areas that have been placed under tremendous stress by the current economic downturn — Medicaid, the federal-state health program for low-income individuals and families, and COBRA, the law that assists laid-off workers to continue their employer-sponsored healthcare coverage for 18 months or longer. ARRA appropriates $86.6 billion and $24.7 billion, respectively, for Medicaid and COBRA.

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Gifts to doctors must be disclosed under U.S. bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters)—Drug and medical device manufacturers would need to publicly disclose all doctor payments and gifts exceeding $100 per year under U.S. legislation unveiled Thursday.

Companies would face penalties as high as $1 million for knowingly failing to report the payments if the bill by Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley and Wisconsin Democrat Sen. Herb Kohl becomes law.

The effort is meant to shine light on the industry's lavish gifts to doctors, which range from pricey dinners to golf vacations, as well as consulting and speaking fees.

Critics say the payments may skew doctors' decision making.

"The goal of our legislation is to lay it all out, make the information available for everyone to see, and let people make their own judgments about what the relationships mean or don't mean," Sen. Grassley said in a statement.

The information would be posted online for public viewing, the senators said.

Sen. Kohl said he was confident the legislation, called the Physician Payment Sunshine Act, would pass in the current Democratic-led Congress.

A previous version did not advance in the last congressional session. It required public reporting only if payments topped $500 per year.

Some manufacturers had supported the earlier bill, and companies including Eli Lilly & Co. and Merck & Co. Inc. pledged voluntary disclosures.

Sen. Kohl chairs the Senate Special Committee on Aging, and Sen. Grassley is the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee.

Sen. Grassley said he is considering if reporting requirements should also apply to industry payments to medical organizations, hospitals, pharmacy benefit managers, pharmacists and pharmacies, continuing medical education groups and medical schools.

Physician Payments Sunshine Act