The House Health Care Committee last week unanimously approved a bill intended as next steps in the state’s redesign of the health care delivery system to more effectively treat chronic illness.

The committee made several key changes to its initial draft proposal in response to suggestions from officials responsible for implementing the state’s Blueprint for Health and from other health care industry participants.

The committee stepped back from its initial plan to speed up Blueprint implementation, and agreed that those dates were too aggressive and could discourage cooperation and reduce enthusiasm for the Blueprint. The committee also dropped plans to allow providers to negotiate collectively with insurers, but they did extend that ability to providers in regard to the state employee’s health plan. The committee also authorized VITL to establish a loan fund for enabling providers, especially primary care providers, to create and share electronic health records. However, the committee decided not to assess insurers and others to pay for the technology as originally considered, but will encourage their voluntary support instead.

The bill as proposed by the committee would:

·          Establish outreach and enrollment principles for Catamount Health and state benefit programs

·          Require the state to adopt a simplified application form for state benefit programs, and provide coverage for those programs beginning with the date the application was received

·          Limit premium assistance for Catamount Health plans to the amount of assistance for the lowest priced plan

·          Create a high level position in the department of health to lead the Blueprint

·          Establish principles and benchmarks to guide development and implementation of the Blueprint

·          Establish a project for integrated early implementation of the Blueprint programs, including a medical home project, a chronic care payment reform project, and a community based care coordination team development project

·          Adds the department of human resources to the list of state agencies with which provider bargaining groups can negotiate

·          Require BISHCA to annually survey insurers and report on the reimbursements for the 10 most common health services

·          Require an annual report on the alignment of the state employees’ health plan with the Blueprint

·          Require VITL to establish both a permanent and an interim loan and grant fund for enabling providers to establish an electronic medical record

The Senate last week approved a bill (S.39) requiring health insurers to pay for naturopathic services and for PSA screening. The Senate Health and Welfare Committee amended and approved a bill (S.115) to address a variety of prescription drug measures, including regulation of pharmacy benefit managers. The Finance Committee will review those changes this week, before the bill goes to the full Senate for debate.

Also this week, the House Government Operations Committee may begin hearings on a recommendation to separate physical therapy licensing and athletic trainer licensing. As part of that discussion, the committee will hear a recommendation from the Office of Professional Regulation that insurers should be required to reimburse athletic trainers for their services.

The House Health Care Committee begins gathering information this week on prescription drug issues in anticipation of receiving S.115 from the Senate. The Senate Health and Welfare Committee will consider several proposals, including initial review of mental health parity (S.114).

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 parryk@bcbsvt.com