HB 785 -- Surgical Co-Management Arrangements

Co-Sponsors:  Kennedy, Thompson, Richardson, Johnson (90),
Johnson (61)

This bill allows 2 eye care providers to enter into a surgical
co-management arrangement for the purposes of providing some or
all of the pre-operative and post-operative care of an eye care
patient.  The bill:

(1)  Contains definitions which include "eye care provider,"
"ophthalmologist," and "surgical co-management."  Eye care
providers must be licensed ophthalmologists or licensed
optometrists;

(2)  Specifies the conditions in which eye care providers can
enter into a surgical co-management arrangement;

(3)  Contains a provision pertaining to dividing the surgical
fee between the eye care providers;

(4)  Contains a procedure which allows the patient to be
referred for surgical intervention if necessary;

(5)  Contains conditions which prohibit a surgical co-management
arrangement from being established;

(6)  Requires that a patient be fully informed in writing of all
aspects of the surgical co-management arrangement.  The
procedures and details pertaining to the disclosure are
specified;

(7)  Requires that the eye care providers in the surgical
co-management arrangement establish a patient care protocol;

(8)  Allows patients the right to refuse participation in the
surgical co-management arrangement;

(9)  Requires that co-managing eye care providers communicate
regularly and in a timely manner to patients regarding their
care and progress;

(10)  Contains actions which constitute violations of a surgical
co-management arrangement;

(11)  Requires the Board of Healing Arts to notify the
appropriate in-state and out-of-state licensing boards of
offending eye care providers if it is determined that a
violation has occurred; and

(12)  Allows the board to develop rules to implement the
provisions of the surgical co-management arrangement.

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated September 13, 2001 at 2:03 pm