Bill S.28 aims to enhance consumer protection in health care services, particularly concerning limited-services pregnancy centers. It broadens the prohibition on misleading advertising to cover all health care services and removes the specific accountability of licensed health care providers for services at these centers. The bill clarifies the definition of unprofessional conduct for health care professionals and allows physicians and advanced practice registered nurses to prescribe medication for terminating pregnancies via asynchronous electronic communication. Additionally, it mandates the confidentiality of fetal death reports and ensures that health care advertising is truthful, supporting informed decision-making regarding reproductive health options.

The bill introduces key legal language changes, including a new definition of "health care services" that encompasses counseling, procedures, products, devices, and medications. It emphasizes the need for health care providers to actively monitor individuals providing services under their name or license and clarifies that unprofessional conduct includes actions that may mislead the public. Furthermore, it establishes confidentiality provisions for prescriber information related to gender-affirming and reproductive health care services, requiring that pharmacists list the facility's name instead of the prescribing practitioner's name on fulfilled prescriptions. The act is set to take effect upon passage, reinforcing protections for patients and health care providers within Vermont's regulatory framework.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 9-63, 9-11, 18-5222, 26-1354, 26-1582, 26-1615, 26-1736, 26-1842, 26-4132