2007 Senator Priority Bills
- Support LB 236 – Provide requirements for in-home personal care services workers
Sponsor: Sen. Joel Johnson – Priority Bill: Sen. John Nelson – Bill Status: General File
- Support LB 255
– Change the Nebraska Wage Payment and Collection Act
Sponsor/Priority Bill: Sen. Kent Rogert – Bill Status: Final Reading
- Support LB 304 – Change qualifications for tax credits relating to long-term care insurance
Sponsor: Sen. Tim Gay – Priority Bill: Sen. Mick Mines – Bill Status:
Select File
- Support LB 373 – Provide for inadmissibility of apologies regarding medical care as evidence
Sponsor: Sen. Arnie Stuthman – Priority Bill: Sen. Brad Ashford – Bill status: General File
- Support LB 395 – Adopt a new Nebraska Clean Indoor Air Act
Sponsor/Priority Bill: Sen. Joel Johnson -- Bill status: Select File
- Support LB 542 – Appropriate funds to the Department of Health and Human Services
Sponsor/Priority Bill: Sen. John Synowiecki – Bill status: In Committee
- Opposition to LB 157 – Provide for leaving an infant with a firefighter or hospital staff member
Sponsor/Priority Bill: Sen. Arnie Stuthman – Bill status: General File
- Monitor LB 57
– Provide for fair share representation contributions for certain labor representation by labor organizations
Sponsor: Sen. Don Priester – Priority Bill: Sen. Danielle Nantkes – Bill status: General File
- Monitor LB 482 – Provide for the coverage of qualifying autism services under the Medical Assistance Act
Sponsor: Sen. Joel Johnson – Priority Bill: Sen. Rich Pahls – Bill status: In Committee
2007 Committee Priority Bills
Health & Human Services Committee:
- Support LB 463 – Adopt the Uniform Credentialing Act
Sponsor: Sen. Joel Johnson – Bill Status: General File
- Monitor LB 247
– Change provisions relating to pharmaceuticals
Sponsor: Sen. Joel Johnson – Bill Status: General File
Business & Labor Committee:
- Neutral to LB 265 – Change various provisions of the Employment Security Law
Sponsor: Sen. Abbie Cornett – Bill Status: In Committee
- Opposition to LB 588 – Change the workers’ compensation hospital fee schedule and payment of providers
Sponsor: Sen. Abbie Cornett – Bill Status: In Committee
2007 Speaker Mike Flood Priority Bills
- Support LB 144 – Adopt the Hepatitis C Education and Prevention Act
Sponsor: Sen. Vickie McDonald – Bill Status: Select File
- Support LB 246 – Provide requirements for coroners relating to the procurement of anatomical gifts
Sponsor: Sen. Joel Johnson – Bill Status: In Committee
- Support LB 292
– Provide for transfers of county funds for Medicaid purposes
Sponsor: Sen. Tom Hansen – Bill Status: Select file
- Monitor LB 171 – Require Department of Health and Human Services to apply for food stamp options and waivers
Sponsor: Sen. Gail Kopplin – Bill Status: General File
NHA Staff Member Meets With Federal Legislators
David Burd, NHA’s Senior Director of Finance, attended the AAHAM (American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management) Legislative Day in Washington D.C. on March 15, 2007. Individual meetings were held with Sen. Ben Nelson and his staff, and legislative staff from the offices of Sen. Chuck Hagel, Congressmen Jeff Fortenberry and Lee Terry.
Several issues of importance to NHA member hospitals were discussed during these meetings, some of which included: the impact of the Medicare cuts within the President’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2008; concerns regarding the implementation of the National Provider Identifier (NPI); the requirement for lab patients to be physically present within a critical access hospital in order to receive cost reimbursement; Medicare Advantage issues; and senate bill 543 which would prevent the “75 percent rule” from being implemented for inpatient rehabilitation facilities. If you have any questions or comments regarding these meetings or issues, please contact David at (402) 742-8144.
— Nebraska Hospital Association, March 20, 2007.
It appears unlikely that Nebraska will have a "safe haven" law
LINCOLN – Unless state lawmakers find a compromise, it appears unlikely that Nebraska will have a "safe haven" law allowing desperate parents to anonymously abandon newborns at hospitals or fire stations without fear of prosecution. LB 157, under proposed committee amendments, would permit the voluntary relinquishment of infants up to 30 days old at fire stations or hospitals. The babies would be turned over to the Nebraska Health and Human Services System.
— Read the complete Omaha World Herald article by Leslie Reed at http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=2346480.
Bill advances that would increase Medicaid funds
LINCOLN – Nebraska could get more federal money to care for poor patients under a bill that won first-round approval from state lawmakers Wednesday. Legislative Bill 292 could bring in about $4.1 million more funds. The money would be used in a program that helps hospitals serving especially large numbers of Medicaid and low-income patients.
State Sen. Tom Hansen of North Platte said the bill would make use of money that counties are already spending on medical assistance for low-income people. Under the bill, counties could send that money to the state, which would use it as the required state match for federal funds. The Legislature’s fiscal staff estimates that about $3 million might be available from the counties.
Under the federal Medicaid law, states must pay about 40 cents for every 60 cents they receive from the federal government.
Hansen said federal officials in January approved the plan outlined in LB 292. The option has been available for several years, but Nebraska has not taken advantage of it before. “This is money we were going to leave on the table,” Hansen said.
Ten Nebraska hospitals currently qualify for what are called “disproportionate share payments” under the federal program. To qualify, a hospital must have a larger share of Medicaid patients than the statewide average or have 25 percent or more low-income patients.
— Martha Stoddard, Omaha World Herald, March 15, 2007.
Legislature passes bill reorganizing state Health and Human Services System
LINCOLN – Nebraska lawmakers today passed a bill reorganizing the state Health and Human Services System, but they made clear during a lengthy debate that they want to see more than organizational changes. Legislative Bill 296 will merge the current system's three agencies into a single unit, under a single chief executive officer. The bill passed, 47-1 vote.
Within the agency will be six divisions, each focusing on specific sets of services. They are: children and family services, developmental disabilities, behavioral health, Medicaid and long-term care, public health, and veterans homes. Gov. Dave Heineman proposed the changes, saying it would increase accountability and make the agency more customer-friendly and effective.
Several senators said they worried that the reorganization will not address the problems in foster care, mental health, welfare reform, developmental disability services and other areas that have surfaced in recent years. No one has said when we get done with the reorganization that we will do any better with services," said State Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha.
— Read the complete Omaha World Herald Article by Martha Stoddard at http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=2346820.
Heineman signs, defends HHS bill
Gov. Dave Heineman defended the giant Health and Human Services System against the broad criticism it faced from state senators this week as he signed a reorganization plan into law Thursday.
It is unfair to suggest that the entire system is failing, said Heineman.
He pointed to national recognition the system has received in several areas, including for the agency’s pandemic flu planning efforts and small pox vaccination plan. Nebraska also consistently has a very high food stamp payment accuracy rate and does an “outstanding job” collecting child support payments,” Heineman said. Senators attacked the bureaucracy earlier this week before giving 48-1 final approval to the bill that divides the system into six divisions, each generally representing the specific group served.
—Read the complete Lincoln Journal Star article by Nancy Hicks at http://journalstar.com/articles/2007/03/15/news/politics/doc45f97766808dc265725518.txt.
Nebraska to look at foster kids' medications more closely (LB 52)
OMAHA — In Nebraska, more than 3,000 of the state’s 7,000 wards were prescribed some type of behavior-modifying drug between July 2005 and 2006, according to state Health and Human Services. In all, more than 45,000 prescriptions cost Medicaid $5.6 million — averaging about 14 prescriptions, at a cost to the state of $1,700 per ward.
About 11 percent of kids on Medicaid, but not in foster care, were prescribed the drugs during the same period in Nebraska.
Now, state lawmakers are debating legislation (LB 52) that would examine that difference more closely, which could eventually result in restrictions or other changes to how the drugs are administered.
— Read the complete Lincoln Journal Star article by Oskar Garcia/Associated Press at
http://journalstar.com/articles/2007/03/13/news/politics/doc45f723ce529ab663750952.txt.
Hearing schedule for March 19
Monday, March 19
LB 536 (Appropriations—Schimek) Appropriate funds to the Department of Health and Human Services Finance and Support
LB 542 (Appropriations—Synowiecki) Appropriate funds to the Department of Health and Human Services
LB 548 (Appropriations—Synowiecki) Appropriate funds relating to behavioral health services
LB 559 (Appropriations—Ashford) Appropriate funds to the Department of Health and Human Services Finance and Support
LB 576 (Appropriations—Kruse) Provide for rate increases in behavioral health service providers
Tuesday, March 20
LB 104 (Judiciary) Change age of majority from nineteen to eighteen
LB 112 (Judiciary) Provide for the judicial emancipation of minors
Friday, March 23 – RECESS DAY
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
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402/742-8143, or email, abarry@nhanet.org.
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