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NHA offers testimony at recent bill hearings
- Support of LB 85 – Create the Nebraska Health Insurance Policy Coalition
- Support of LB 134 – Require insurance coverage of colorectal cancer screenings
- Support of LB 647 – Change provisions relating to insurance coverage of mental health and physical health conditions
Smoking ban press call Tuesday
The Nebraska American Cancer Society, High Plains Division, Inc., has set up a press call that will include the managing partner of the polling firm to walk through the results of the official release of the smoke free air survey and polling results.
Copies of the slide presentation on the poll results will be delivered to all senators’ offices on Wednesday morning before debate begins.
For more information contact David Holmquist, Director of Government Relations, Nebraska American Cancer Society, High Plains Division, Inc., (402) 423-4888 ext. 4103 or
david.holmquist@cancer.org.
NHA successfully amends concealed weapon bill to include hospitals
LB 491 which would change concealed handguns provisions came out of committee after the Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA) requested an amendment to include hospitals to the list of prohibited places where guns can be carried.
Read the amendment at http://uniweb.legislature.ne.gov/Apps/BillFinder/finder.php?page=view_doc&DocumentID=879, then click on AM288.
— Angela Barry, Nebraska Hospital Association marketing specialist, March 5, 2007.
State budget report released by Appropriations Committee
(Unicameral Update) Friday, Feb. 23, the Appropriations Committee released its preliminary budget report proposing adjustments that would increase state obligations by $31.6 million. The Committee’s recommendations would result in a financial status that is $398.8 million above the minimum reserve - $107 million below the governor’s recommendations.
Gov. Heineman recommended a spending growth rate of 3.8 percent and the Committee’s preliminary report puts the spending growth average at 4.2 percent. During the 2005-07 bienniums, the average spending growth was 7.4 percent.
The difference between the budgets proposed by the governor and the Committee’s preliminary budget amounts to about 0.5 percent of the total General Fund budget over the two-year period.
The differences can be attributed to health insurance cost increases and school aid funding. Also, the Committee used actual school aid certification figures from fiscal year 2007-08 which weren’t available to the governor when his recommendations were made.
Among the significant adjustments from the current biennium recommended by the Committee were a $47 million increase in the state’s Medicaid program and a $15 million increase in state health insurance.
— Angela Barry, Nebraska Hospital Association marketing specialist, March 5, 2007.
Senator wants workers to pay bigger cut of health care
Taxpayers might love it, but government workers would likely give the thumbs down to a bill that would reduce the amount the state, cities, counties, school districts and others would contribute to health insurance.
Lexington Sen. John Wightman brought his bill (LB 477) to the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee on Wednesday. No supporters showed up to testify, but opponents lined up.
No one could argue with the impetus of the bill. The state cannot sustain the 7 to 10 percent yearly growth in spending on health insurance for employees and also fund other goals and programs, Wightman said.
The senator sits on the Legislature’s Appropriation Committee and has heard the report that the state is in an $11.7 million hole in health care spending, and the debt will likely get worse. Gov. Dave Heineman has proposed borrowing $12 million from the state’s cash reserve to get back to level ground.
— Read the complete Lincoln Journal Star article by JoAnne Young at http://journalstar.com/articles/2007/02/28/news/politics/doc45e62a8c5f207516120104.txt.
Nebraska lawmakers: No pay for unused vacation, sick leave
(AP) -- The Legislature on Wednesday gave first-round approval to a bill (LB 255) that would allow employers to not pay employees for unused sick and other leave time once they leave their jobs. The bill does not apply to unused vacation time. Sen. Kent Rogert of Tekamah introduced the bill in response to a state Supreme Court decision that employers should have to pay employees for unused vacation time, but the bill was amended to affect only sick and other leave besides vacation. There was little discussion of the bill, and it passed easily, 34-0. Sen. Abbie Cornett of Bellevue said some employees are filing lawsuits seeking pay for unused sick time following the Supreme Court decision. Sen. Tom Carlson of Holdrege also spoke in favor of the bill, noting that sick leave is much like health insurance and is a benefit to be realized only when health problems arise.
— The State Chamber, Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Action Alert, March 1, 2007.
Survey: Statewide smoking ban has wide support
If you support a statewide smoking ban, you have friends, many friends.
A survey of voters from western Nebraska to the Missouri River boundary shows wide support for a proposed ban.
Only smoking voters gave the ban a thumbs down. And nearly a third of them said they favored not allowing smoking in most public places. A telephone survey by Public Opinion Strategies of 500 registered voters in Nebraska, released Tuesday, showed a majority questioned Feb. 14-15 strongly favored a smoke-free law in work places, public buildings, offices, restaurants and bars.
— Read the complete Lincoln Journal Star article by JoAnne Young at http://journalstar.com/articles/2007/02/27/news/politics/doc45e4784bc8e09509460197.txt.
Senator attempts override of legislative process for Autism bill
An unusual attempt to override the normal legislative process by a senator concerned about autism was thwarted. A bill (LB 49) from Sen. Carol Hudkins of Malcolm would have banned mercury in vaccines for children, which she believes may cause autism. But studies have found no link between autism and thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative. A legislative committee previously did not vote to advance the bill to the full Legislature. Hudkins' attempt to bring it up Monday on the floor was criticized by Speaker of the Legislature Mike Flood and others before lawmakers turned down her request to override the committee's decision in a 32-7 vote.
— The State Chamber, Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry News Update, Feb. 27, 2007.
Home health care gets discussion due to Aguilar bill
(Grand Island Independent) -- Bills introduced in the Unicameral this session, including LB 523, introduced by state Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island, would deal with issues that have frustrated some who have experienced problems with the home health care industry. LB 523, in particular, would create a Quality Home Care Council to make it easier for consumers to find health care workers through a statewide registry.
The registry could give people who employ home health care workers a voice in licensure and might allow for higher wages in a field notorious for low pay and nonexistent benefits. Krissi Jimroglou with the Nebraska Home Caregivers Association said the benefit of the bill comes in allowing more Nebraskans to stay in their homes instead of care facilities. That translates to savings for state government.
LB 523 was debated on Wednesday and "is alive and well" in committee, Aguilar said. Those who opposed the bill said it would allow for collective bargaining by home health care workers, which would result in a spike in the cost to the consumer. In Aguilar's estimation, the argument is more about the big picture of keeping people who wish to stay in their homes out of nursing care facilities.
— The State Chamber, Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry News Update, Feb. 27, 2007.
Hearing schedule for
March 5-9
Monday, March 5
LB 31 (Business & Labor) Change minimum wage and training wage provisions
LB 175 (Business & Labor) Require employer to provide employee a reason for termination
Tuesday, March 6
LB 275 (Appropriations) Change a fund transfer and appropriate funds for biomedical research
LB 438 (Appropriations) Appropriate funds to the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska
LB 483 (Appropriations) Appropriate funds from the Nebraska Health Care Cash Fund for biomedical and autism research
Wednesday, March 7
LB 700 (Judiciary) Adopt the Human Cloning Prohibition Act
Friday, March 9
LB 431 (Revenue) Provide an income tax credit for certain educational expenses
NHA Advocacy Day
almost here!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Cornhusker Marriott Hotel
Lincoln, NE
The Nebraska Hospital Association’s annual Advocacy Day event is fast approaching! There are only 2 more weeks to register. Your participation is important so
Register
TODAY!
If you have questions about NHA Advocacy Day, please contact Kris Claussen, Office Administrator, at 402/742-8145 or
kclaussen@nhanet.org.
NHA testimony presented at the hearings can be found on the NHA Web site Advocacy Page-Bill
Status.
NHA Rotunda Review is published by the Nebraska Hospital Association, 3255 Salt
Creek Circle, Lincoln, NE 68504. Phone (402) 742-8140, Fax (402) 742-8191. Visit our Web site at
http://www.nhanet.org. Angela Barry, editor, at
402/742-8143, or email, abarry@nhanet.org.
Click here to Subscribe to Rotunda Review
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