• Appropriations & Financial Affairs: MMA board member and medical student Nicholas Knowland was among many witnesses testifying in favor of a bill that would provide interest relief on student loans for persons who agree to spend 5 years living and working in Maine. (See article above in "Spotlight" section.)
• Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee: Two competing bills on female genital cutting, or mutilation, have been rejected by the Committee in favor of a third bill in which the Committee is attempting to achieve consensus. The MMA has consistently argued for a clear exclusion for any legitimate, non-cosmetic medical procedures, and many members of the committee clearly favor such an exclusion.
  
• Health & Human Services Committee: The HHS Committee is wrapping up its work, and most of the activities this week were focused on amendment and language review.
• Insurance & Financial Services Committee:  The IFS Committee continues to work on one last health insurance bill, L.D. 696 that would prohibit so-called "non-medical switching" of prescription drugs.  As previously reported, MMA testified in favor of the bill and has been involved in the drafting process.  As of last Thursday, there seems to be bipartisan support for proceeding with the bill as Rep. Bob Foley (R-Wells) has convened a stakeholder group to participate in the drafting process.  If you have experience with this patient problem and would like to share your experience with the IFS Committee members, you can find the Committee members and contact information here.  It will be most effective if you can contact them before the work session tomorrow at 1 p.m.  See also the article above on the AMA's recent prior authorization survey.  The Committee completed a final language review on MMA's prior authorization bill, L.D. 1032, last Thursday.  We will alert you when this bill will be debated through this newsletter.
• Labor, Commerce, Research & Economic Development Committee: The LCRED Committee held a public hearing on a bill that would streamline the path for veterans from military service in medical positions to an LPN license in Maine. There were several witnesses testifying in favor of the bill, which is based on a report submitted by House Assistant Majority Leader Jared Golden. The Board of Nursing, testifying neither for nor against, pointed out that many aspects of LPN education, including those focusing on pediatrics and geriatrics, are not covered in military training.
  

Upcoming public hearings and work sessions this week:

• LD 1819 and 1822 Female genital cutting

IFS Work Session:

• LD 696 Non-medical switching of medications by insurers
  

LCRED Work Session:

• LD 1857 Streamlined LPN licensure for former military medics