Many legislative committees were busy with health care issues last week as lawmakers continued their search for solutions to rising health care costs and increasing numbers of uninsured.

Legislative consultant Ken Thorpe appeared before several committees late in the week to brief them on his activities, and he presented the special Legislative Commission on Health Care Reform with a report on options the legislature might consider. Thorpe, a dean at Emory University in Atlanta, has focused on chronic care treatment as an area where progress can be achieved. One of Thorpe’s proposed options would have the state pay for chronic care treatment for the uninsured through Medicaid. (Dr. Thorpe’s presentations are available in the health care section of the legislature’s website: www.leg.state.vt.us).

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee is working its way through a draft of “common sense initiatives” that are supported in concept by both the administration and the legislature. The committee spent much of last week on sections of the draft that would establish healthy lifestyle premium discounts, and will turn its attention next week to those sections in the draft that call for administrative simplification. Remaining sections of the draft pertain to information technology, consumer price and quality information, and loan repayment programs to recruit and train medical providers.

The Senate Finance Committee held initial hearings on a bill that would require managed care organizations to include in its network any mental health provider willing to accept the “terms and conditions” of the network contract. H.404 passed the House last year and would prevent health plans from selectively choosing its provider network based on quality or any other criteria. The bill is poised to pass despite testimony in opposition from health plans.

The Senate Judiciary Committee began work last week on a bill (S.198) regarding medical errors and a “safe apology.” 

In the House last week, the Health Care Committee continued to hear details of the various health care reform proposals that have surfaced over the past year. Secretary of Administration Charlie Smith explained Governor Douglas’ new proposal on Wednesday, and BCBSVT shared research and analysis it has done regarding basic health benefits plans, the uninsured and the individual market. The committee also heard from a consortium of providers, business organizations and insurers known as “the Williston Group” about concrete steps that could be taken to reform the state’s health care system. The committee also refreshed their understanding of several plans that were presented last year. The committee is expected to produce a reform bill in February.

The House Ways and Means Committee is educating itself about health care financing in preparation for its responsibility to determine funding sources should any reform bill require state revenues. The committee is devoting a few hours a week to that process.

The House Commerce Committee quickly approved a bill (H.567) to relieve from PACE (Programs for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) from state CON and HMO regulations.

Also last week, a coalition of consumer and like-minded organizations held a press conference to maintain pressure on the legislature to adopt reforms that will ensure universal access to health care. 

For more information on legislative proposals, visit the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont website at www.bcbsvt.com or call Leigh Tofferi at (802) 223-6131 or Kathy Parry at (802) 371-3205. If you wish to discontinue receiving these updates or know of anyone else who would like to receive it, please call Kathy Parry or send an e-mail to webmail@bcbsvt.com