|
NHA meets with Nebraska's congressional delegation
Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA) executives recently met with members of the House and Senate to discuss concerns and suggestions regarding issues such as coverage for the recently unemployed, the Medicaid FMAP increase, Pension Protection Act technical amendments, health information technology loans and grants, access to capital, workforce shortages, reverse backdoor budget cuts and physician self-referral.
The objective of the time spent in Washington D.C. was to educate policymakers about challenges affecting the delivery of health care in Nebraska, according to Vice President, Advocacy Bruce Rieker.
"Our goal is to advance the NHA’s advocacy agenda," Rieker said.
NHA President Laura J. Redoutey, FACHE and Vice President, Finance, David Burd were able to join Rieker discussing matters of priority to the NHA membership.
Legislators take oath, choose leaders
 The first session of the 101st Nebraska
Legislature convened at 10:00 a.m. January 7. This first session following the full implementation
of term limits began with senators
short on experience but eager to tackle the issues facing Nebraska.
Following the oath of office, senators
spent the morning filling leadership
positions..
Norfolk Sen. Mike Flood was uncontested in his bid for a second term as speaker of the Legislature. Flood said his goals are unchanged from his first term and include conducting
business in an open and fair environment, promoting respect for the institution and moving Nebraska forward.
“The Legislature is Nebraska’s marketplace of ideas,” Flood said. “As speaker, I take this responsibility seriously.”
Read more.
— Unicameral Update, January 7, 2009
Key dates of 2009 Legislative Session
- Jan. 8: Session begins
- Jan. 15: Governor’s State of the State Address
- Jan. 20: Committee hearings begin
- Jan. 21: Last day to introduce bills
- Feb. 4: Speaker’s office will begin accepting senator and
committee priority designations and requests for speaker priority
designations
- Mar. 12: Deadline for designation of committee and
senator priority bills
- Mar. 12: Deadline to submit a letter to the Speaker
requesting his designation of a bill as a 2009 speaker priority bill
- Mar. 31: All day debate begins on floor
- June 4: Sine Die adjournment
Save the date! NHA Advocacy Day is March 31
The Nebraska Hospital Association's (NHA) annual Advocacy Day event is scheduled from 8:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. on
Tuesday, March 31, at the Cornhusker Marriott Hotel in Lincoln. Advocacy Day is a key opportunity for you to communicate face-to-face with your senator about important legislation that affects your hospital. Further program details will follow. If you have questions about Advocacy Day, please contact Cora Micek, Advocacy Coordinator, at cmicek@nhanet.org or 402/742-8153.
Advocacy Team of the Year
Did your hospital advocacy team excel in 2008?
Did you meet with your state senator several times during the 2008 Legislative Session? Did you offer input regarding Medicaid reform, workers compensation, or other health care concerns? Did your employees call or write to support hospital issues?
Let us know that your hospital team deserves the NHA Advocacy Team of the Year award, which will be presented at NHA Advocacy Day, March
31.
It only takes a few minutes to complete the nomination form. Recognize the advocacy efforts of your hospital staff and send in your nomination today.
For more information, please contact Cora Micek, Advocacy Coordinator, at 402/742-8153 or
cmicek@nhanet.org.
Legislature focus: State budget
The Nebraska Legislature's been saving up for a rainy day. But is it storming enough now to use?
Senator Galen Hadley of Kearney said "I'm convinced it's raining out and it's time to use the rainy day fund."
Like any family facing a cash crunch, the options are limited. If you balance the checkbook and come up short, you could take a second job. But the only way for the state to make more money is raise taxes. Realistically that leaves two options—cut spending and take money out of the savings account.
Read more.
— NTV, Kearney, January 14, 2009
Governor Heineman urges discipline to help
weather fiscal storm
Governor Dave Heineman delivered his
State of the State address to the Nebraska Legislature
Thursday focusing on four priorities: ensuring no tax increases, providing additional funding for K-12 and higher education, preserving services for vulnerable Nebraskans, and maintaining a strong cash reserve fund.
The Governor proposed maintaining tax relief programs enacted during the past four years and continuing the property tax credit program begun two years ago. In FY 2010 and 2011, the program will provide $230 million in tax credits to property owners.
Governor Heineman said, “Failing to fund this program would be a property tax increase on every home owner in Nebraska. In an economic downturn, increasing property taxes on middle class families, seniors living on fixed incomes, small businesses, and farmers and ranchers is unacceptable.”
The Governor proposed an additional $100 million in K-12 school funding and $16.8 million for special education programs. His budget also includes an additional $25.6 million for the University of Nebraska and a combined $4 million for state and community colleges.
Read more.
— Governor Heineman press release, January 15, 2009
U.S. Chamber issues alert on labor-related legislation
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has issued an alert to members, asking them to contact their U.S. senators “after the House's disappointing passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, H.R. 11, and the Paycheck Fairness Act, H.R. 12.” According to the U.S. Chamber, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, S. 181, is expected to come before the Senate as soon as today and has the potential to exert implications that far transcend the seemingly simple concept of "fair pay."
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act would amend Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and several other civil rights laws by effectively abolishing the statute of limitations in a vast majority of cases. The bill would alter other employment laws, increase frivolous lawsuits, and make it harder to resolve cases in a timely manner.
“When employment disputes fester over time, each party becomes more entrenched in its position, hindering the resolution of workplace disputes,” according to the U.S. Chamber.
The Paycheck Fairness Act, “would, among other things, make it easier to file large class action lawsuits, expand remedies under the Equal Pay Act to include unlimited punitive and compensatory damages, and limit an employer's ability to justify legitimate pay differences.” The U.S. Chamber writes that proponents support the bill based on the "pay gap" -- which assumes that any gap in pay must be due to unlawful discrimination. “This assumption is being used to justify radical rewrites of pay equity laws and put expansive regulation in place. The only parties that benefit from this are the trial lawyers … Tell your Senator to oppose both of these flawed bills.” You may contact both of Nebraska’s U.S. senator’s through the U.S. Chamber’s Vote for Business Web site. The State Chamber is an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber, as well as the National Association of Manufacturers.
Children's health debate moves to Senate
WASHINGTON—A key Senate committee voted Thursday to expand a children's health insurance program to cover an additional 4 million uninsured children. The vote comes one day after the House overwhelmingly supported a similar measure.
The measure to increase spending on the State Children's Health Insurance Program passed easily, 12-7, despite losing support from some Republicans who had worked closely with Democrats on the issue in 2007.
Read more.
— AP/Washington Post, January 15, 2009
House to consider economic stimulus package
WASHINGTON—House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey (D-WI)
Thursday released the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to be considered by the committee next week. The draft outline includes AHA-supported provisions that would allocate $39 billion to extend COBRA coverage for the newly unemployed, $87 billion for a temporary increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, $20 billion for health care information technology, $6 billion for improvements in broadband access and $600 million for workforce initiatives. The plan also would block certain, unspecified, Medicare and Medicaid regulations proposed by the Bush Administration.
Also Thursday, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY)
announced additional economic stimulus proposals that he expects to consider in his committee next week. Included in his plan are incentives for purchasers of tax-exempt hospital bonds. The bills are expected to be considered as one package on the House floor the week of January 26.
— AHA News Now, January 15, 2009
For more information about health-related legislative bills or resolutions, contact: Bruce Rieker,
Vice President, Advocacy, at (402) 742-8146 or
brieker@nhanet.org or Cora Micek,
Advocacy Coordinator, at (402) 742-8153 or
cmicek@nhanet.org.
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. Kelley Porter, editor, at
402/742-8151, or email, kporter@nhanet.org.
Click here to Subscribe to Rotunda Review
Click here to Unsubscribe
Click here to change your email address
or call Vicky Pfeiffer at 402/742-8145.
Please be sure to include the individual's name, title, email address and
if you are subscribing, unsubscribing or
updating information.
Back To Main
|
