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LegisLetter |
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UHA, |
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In This Issue
Final State Budget Decision Are Being Made
Please Lobby Your Legislators to Eliminate Unprecedented
Hospital Medicaid Cuts
Health Reform Bills to Be Heard In Senate Later This Week
UHA Is Here to Help Keep You Informed Legislative
Links http://www.le.state.ut.us/ http://uha-utah.org/advocacy.html UHA Corporate
Sponsors www.ut.regence.com Other Useful
Links Contact Us http://www.uha-utah.org |
Legislative
leadership plans to finalize the 2010 budget by the end of this week.
There are serious negotiations ongoing between the Senate, the House and the
Governor as to how to use the federal stimulus money to “back fill” some of
the 13.5% base cuts that have already been approved. There seems to be
little appetite for raising taxes by the Legislature. The only
agreement so far is on increasing automobile registration fees which could raise up to $67 million. There continues to be talk
of increasing the tobacco and gas taxes but there appears to be well organized
resistance to both. There is also a fight over how much bonding should
occur for public projects. There is also a debate going on between the
Governor and the Legislature as to how to use the federal stimulus money that
is supposed to be earmarked for Medicaid. The Governor appears to want
to use that money to backfill cuts in higher education and public education
and not to cuts to providers in Medicaid. UHA urges all hospitals to
contact their legislators and urge them to reduce or eliminate the proposed
Medicaid cuts to hospitals. Please Lobby Your Legislators to Eliminate Unprecedented
Hospital Medicaid Cuts As you know, UHA
has successfully reduced the proposed cuts on hospital Medicaid funding from
$32 million in state funds down to $11 million in state funds for fiscal year
2010. We were also able to backfill $5 million of the $9 million base
cut to hospitals reimbursement for fiscal year 2009. However, when the
cuts of fiscal year 2009 and the proposed cuts still on the table for fiscal
year 2010 are added together hospitals could see a base budget cut of $20
million in state funds as well has losing another $54 million in federal matching
funds. This is unprecedented and we are lobbying heavily to reduce or
eliminate these cuts but we need your help. Please contact your
legislators and tell them to use the federal Medicaid stimulus money to
reduce or eliminate the hospital Medicaid cuts. Health Reform Bills to Be Heard In
Senate Later This Week The reform bills
proposed by the Legislative Task Force on Health Reform should pass the full
Senate later this week. The major reform bill is H.B. 188 – Health System Reform –
Insurance Market by Speaker Dave Clark.
This legislation strengthens the health insurance portal and provides for
certain basic benefit, high deductible, defined contribution plans.
Another reform bill is H.B. 165 – Administration
Simplification by Representative Newbold. This legislation attempts to streamline
and simplify some of the billing challenges between providers and insurance
companies. A few of the national insurance carriers are trying to
weaken this bill but UHA has successfully opposed these efforts. H.B. 331 – Health Reform –Health
Insurance Coverage in State Contracts provides
an incentive for the State of S.B. 79 – Health Reform Medical
Malpractice Amendments will likely be heard by the full Senate this week. This bill
would establish a standard of proof of clear and convincing evidence for a
medical malpractice case dealing with care in hospital emergency rooms as
well as provide better protections when dealing with expert witnesses.
The trial attorneys are vigorous opposing this bill and hope to kill or substitute
the bill on the Senate floor. H.J.R. 8 – Joint Resolution Regarding
Secret Ballot would allow UHA is Here to Help You Keep Informed Please visit the
UHA website at www.utah-utah.org for more legislative
information. For additional legislative information you can go to the
legislative website at www.le.state.ut.us where
you can read and track proposed legislation, see committee agendas and find
lots of other pertinent information. If you have specific questions or
concerns, please e-mail |
