COPIC Comment

Tuesday, July 01, 2014 12:52 PM

The value of legislative advocacy

Taking a proactive stance in shaping Colorado’s health care landscape

Ted J. Clarke, MD
Chairman & CEO, COPIC Insurance Company

Over the years, I have learned the importance of being at the table when a conversation begins so I don’t miss an opportunity to be part of it. This is especially true in discussions about legislative policies that influence health care. A wide range of issues, from the protection of patient records to tort reform, can surface at the state Capitol each year. Because of this, COPIC has an active presence to ensure that Colorado remains a great place to practice medicine.

COPIC formed its public affairs team to focus on state level policy, as well as public outreach and engagement. Collaboration is key, and our advocacy efforts are done in coordination with partners such as the Colorado Medical Society (CMS) and Colorado Hospital Association (CHA). Together, we are able to pay close attention to initiatives that may impact regulatory oversight, create burdens on health care delivery or change access to quality health care delivery.

Medical professionals continue to recognize how the dedicated resources of COPIC, CMS and CHA help them navigate the changes brought about through legislative policies. Our proactive work has established a “seat at the table” to engage with legislators and represent the perspectives of health care professionals.

COPIC’s legislative advocacy efforts are year-round and focus on the following areas:

• Monitoring and reviewing proposed legislation – Every year there are countless bills brought forth that have the potential to impact health care. Our public affairs and legal teams review all drafted and introduced bills during a session, assessing each for possible unintended consequences impacting patient safety, quality of care and liability issues.
• Offering guidance to insureds on complex legislative issues – COPIC’s internal teams analyze legislative changes from every angle so we can explain the details and notify insureds of any steps to take. When there are important issues at stake, we also distribute information to the medical community to generate awareness and action.
• Educating legislators and building relationships – As issues emerge, legislators are inundated with information. Our goal is to educate them with facts and evidencebased data so they better understand the medical, legal and economic implications of their decisions. We also host annual forums for legislators, which reinforce our ability to be heard early in the policy-making process.

During the 2014 Colorado General Assembly, COPIC was actively involved in House Bill 1283, which aims to increase participation in the state Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). COPIC,  jointly with our partners, provided a perspective from the medical community to ensure that discussions were well-informed. This led to the bill not expanding liability for providers now mandated to register, and assurances that enforcement would be delayed until after the first renewal period so providers have adequate notice.

We were also involved with Senate Bill 162, which establishes the components of a quality management program for emergency medical services (EMS) organizations. The goal was to reinforce the importance of frank and honest quality reviews of pre-hospital care and how this supports improved patient safety and quality of care. The bill incorporated legal protections for the records of an EMS quality management program and immunity from civil actions for those participating in these activities when they act in good faith.

Perhaps the best example of where our legislative advocacy played a significant role was the Colorado Professional Review Act (CPRA). CPRA is a critical component of better care and patient safety as it supports open discussions designed to learn from past outcomes in order to improve future ones. In 2012, COPIC, CMS and CHA formed a coalition to draw attention to the importance of CPRA and why physicians are in the best position to review the medical care of other physicians. The coalition was successful in getting CPRA’s protections extended for another seven years.

All of these examples illustrate how legislative advocacy plays an important role in defining Colorado’s health care environment. For COPIC, it is a responsibility that we are committed to and our efforts support the ability of medical professionals to focus on what matters most – improved care for all patients.