LegisLetter
Tuesday, February 17, 2009	UHA, Utah Hospitals & Health Systems Association
In This Issue Final State Budget Projections Produce Additional Challenges Hospitals Cuts Lessened by Health and Human Services Subcommittee Health Reform Bills Passed Unanimously By House Health Committee Other Bills of Interest Plan On Attending UHA’S Hospital Day at the Legislature on February 25 UHA Is Here to Help Keep You Informed Legislative Links http://www.le.state.ut.us/ Official web page of the Utah State Legislature http://uha-utah.org/advocacy.html online advocacy center UHA Corporate Sponsors www.amerisourcebergen.com www.goldcrossambulance.com www.hbecorp.com www.vistastaff.com www.yestutah.org www.molinahealthcare.com www.ut.regence.com Other Useful Links http://www.aha.org/ http://www.healthinsight.org/ http://www.rules.utah.gov/ Contact Us http://www.uha-utah.org dave@uha-utah.org	Final State Budget Projections Produce Additional Challenges The Legislature received their final budget numbers for both FY2009 and FY2010 today and they include additional deficits from earlier estimates.  It is now estimated that another $171 million must be cut from the budget in the FY2009 budget on top of the $365 million that the Legislature has already cut from the FY2009 budget.  You may recall that the Legislature “backfilled” about half of that $365 million with one time funds.  It is unclear today how the Legislature will deal with this $171 million that must be cut from this fiscal year.  In addition, the Legislature will have to cut $320 million from the FY2010 budget on top of the FY2009 cuts already mentioned.  With the signing of the federal stimulus package today, there will be significant federal funds coming to the State of Utah to lessen these state cuts.  The remaining weeks of the legislative session will determine how this all plays out.  There are many options for additional state funding.  The real debate on raising tobacco or gas taxes, adding back the sales tax on food as well as how best to use federal stimulus monies will now begin.  Hospitals Cuts Lessened by Health and Human Services Subcommittee UHA has strongly lobbied the Health and Human Services Subcommittee to reduce the proposed cuts to hospitals Medicaid funding of $32 million in state funds (a combined total of over $110 million in state and federal reductions in hospital Medicaid reimbursement).  In a final vote late last week, the subcommittee voted to reduce direct state Medicaid hospital cuts to $11 million for fiscal year 2010.  UHA also successfully lobbied the subcommittee to drop any reference to a hospital tax.  These recommendations now go to the Executive Appropriations Committee.  With the federal stimulus package estimated to bring an additional $320 million in federal funds to Utah’s Medicaid program over the next two years, we have an excellent opportunity to reduce or eliminate these hospital Medicaid cuts.  Hospitals now need to lobby their legislators to tell them to use the additional federal stimulus Medicaid funding to stop these cuts to hospitals Medicaid funding.  UHA will continue to strongly lobby legislative leadership to stop these hospital cuts now that the federal Medicaid stimulus money is a reality. Health Reform Bills Passed Unanimously By House Health Committee The reform bills proposed by the Legislative Task Force on Health Reform were unanimously passed by the House Health Committee late last week.  They are scheduled for debate before the full House on Thursday morning.  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. H.B. 331 – Health Reform –Health Insurance Coverage in State Contracts provides an incentive for the State of Utah to select contractors who provide insurance to their employees. Other Bills Of Interest S.B. 79 – Health Reform Medical Malpractice Amendments has been introduced.  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.  H.B. 144 – Medical Language Interpreter Act would allow for the voluntary certification by DOPL of medical interpreters.  H.J.R 8 – Joint Resolution Regarding Secret Ballot would allow Utah citizens to vote on whether union voting in a company would be by secret ballot.  This is an attempt to maintain union secret voting to counteract a bill in the U.S. Congress that would do away with secret ballots in union voting.   UHA has taken a position of opposition to the hospital lien bill, H.B. 135 – Lien Revisions.    UHA supports H.B. 81 – Health Care Patient Identity Protection.  This bill will help hospitals prevent identity fraud and has passed the House and will likely pass the Senate soon. Plan On Attending UHA’s Hospital Day at the Legislature On February 25 We need a great turnout by hospital leaders for our Annual UHA Hospital Day at the Legislature in the State Capitol on Wednesday, February 25^th.  We will have a wonderful lunch in the Capitol Rotunda with many legislators and we hope you will come.  This will be a great opportunity for you to talk to your legislators.  Please email Brenda at brenda@uha-utah.org if you plan to attend. 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 Dave Gessel at dave@uha-utah.org or call him at 231-3404.