Rotunda Archive

February 6, 2009

The Nebraska Hospital Association – Nebraska's influential voice for health care.

If you have questions or concerns about any state legislation, please 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 offers testimony, letters of recommendation at bill hearings

LINCOLN—The legislature continued hearings on bills this week, many of which the NHA and member hospitals submitted a letter of recommendation or testified, including:

• LB 220 – Change provisions relating to pharmacy practice and pharmaceuticals. View
• LB 275 – Require crisis, information, and referral services relating to behavioral health. View
• LB 290 – Require criminal history background checks on individuals who transport vulnerable adults and children under contracts with the Department of Health and Human Services. View
• LB 310 – Change provisions relating to deaf and hard of hearing persons. View
• LB 346 – Require the Department of Health and Human Services to provide services relating to children's behavioral health and adoption and guardianship families. View
• LB 395 – Adopt the Stroke Registry Act. View
• LB 405 – Change income tax provisions related to planned gifts. View
• LB 462 – Change provisions relating to human immunodeficiency virus testing. View
• LB 519 – Provide for rate increases for behavioral health care providers and create the Provider Reimbursement Rate Commission. View testimony 1. View testimony 2.
• LB 611 – Amend the Nebraska Clean Indoor Air Act to provide cities, villages, and counties the authority to regulate smoking. View
• LB 624 – Provide for energy efficiency loans for public buildings. View

The NHA will continue to monitor bills of interest and take the necessary actions that best represent its membership. For current advocacy alerts and updates, visit the NHA's Advocacy Action Center.
 

Hearing schedule for Feb. 9 – 12

The following "bills of interest" to NHA members are being heard in committees next week. Behind each bill number is the committee that will hear testimony.

If you would like to share your perspective on a particular bill or are interested in testifying at the hearing, please 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.

Monday, February 9

• LB 51 (Business) – Provide for confidentiality of Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court documents and information
• LB 243 (Business) – Provide for annual adjustment for workers' compensation total disability income benefits
• LB 630 (Business) – Change workers' compensation medical fee and procedural provisions

Tuesday, February 10

• LB 176 (Banking) – Prohibit use of credit information for insurance purposes and repeal the model act
• LB 551 (Banking) – Extend the limiting age on sickness and accident insurance policies

Wednesday, February 11

• LB 188 (Nebr. Retirement Systems) – Change limitation of action provisions under the Political Subdivisions Tort Claims Act
• LB 371 (Health and Human Services) – Change Medicaid Reform Plan and Medicaid Reform Council provisions
• LB 396 (Health and Human Services) – Adopt the Medical Home Act
• LB 541 (Health and Human Services) – Exempt certain adult dental services from Medicaid limitations
• LB 583 (Revenue) – Change sales, property, and income tax provisions and education funding
• LB 610 (Health and Human Services) – Change Medicaid limitation provisions relating to services for persons with disabilities
• LB 656 (Health and Human Services) – Adopt the Health Care Accessibility and Affordability Act

Thursday, February 12

• LB 27 (Health and Human Services) – Change the Autism Treatment Program Act
• LB 112 (Revenue) – Exclude certain rural health loan repayments from income taxation
• LB 367 (Health and Human Services) – Change health care certificate of need provisions
• LB 487 (Revenue) – Adopt the Volunteer Emergency Responders Incentive Act and provide an income tax credit
• LB 511 (Health and Human Services) – Redefine health care facility for purposes of certificate of need

Click here to view all bills of interest to the NHA. To search for a specific bill, click here to access the Unicameral's bill finder.


 

Sponsorship opportunities available for Advocacy Day

The Nebraska Hospital Association's annual Advocacy Day event is scheduled for Tuesday, March 31, at the Cornhusker Marriott Hotel in Lincoln.

In 2008, 86 hospital representatives gathered at the Cornhusker Marriott in Lincoln to learn about legislation that impacts health care delivery in Nebraska. The Advocacy Day luncheon was attended by nearly 200 individuals from across the state, including 38 senators.

If you are interested in sponsoring Advocacy Day, contact Kelley Porter, Director of Communications, at kporter@nhanet.org or (402) 742-8151 or click here.

Hot line gains support in wake of safe haven incidents

LINCOLN—Groups that care for troubled kids and families mostly praised a measure before Nebraska lawmakers that was prompted by rampant use of the state’s old safe-haven law.

Backed by Governor Dave Heineman, the bill (LB 346) would establish a statewide hot line for parents to call when having trouble with their kids. Trained staff would direct them to agencies where they could get help. The bill would also set up more counseling, therapy and other services for families after they adopt foster kids or become their guardians.

A public hearing on the measure was being held before lawmakers on Thursday. One criticism of the bill is that money could be taken away from existing services to pay for the proposed, new services.

— Lincoln Journal Star, February 5, 2009
 

Bill would update pharmacy practice

LINCOLN—A bill seeking to update the pharmacy practices of Nebraska long-term care facilities was heard by the Health and Human Services Committee January 30. Introduced by Grand Island Senator Mike Gloor, LB 220 would make changes to several laws governing the operation of long-term care facility pharmacies.

The bill would define long-term care facilities and would allow their pharmacies to: maintain controlled substance prescriptions in a readily retrievable format; destroy controlled substances, provided destruction is done by two credentialed individuals designated by the facility; use e-prescribing and electronic record keeping; and use automation as outlined in the Automated Medication Systems Act. The committee took no immediate action on the bill.

— Unicameral Update, January 30, 2009
 

Change to medical records fees proposed

LINCOLN—The Health and Human Services Committee heard testimony January 30 on the proposed repeal of a medical records fee exemption. Current law prohibits health care providers from charging a fee for medical records requested by a patient for use in support of a limited number of disability and benefit program applications. In all other circumstances, providers may charge a maximum $20 handling fee and 50 cents per page.

LB 301, sponsored by Senator Mike Gloor of Grand Island, would repeal the exemption. Gloor said the bill is a small way to take an expense not directly related to health care and shift it to the legal profession where it belongs. The committee took no immediate action on the bill.

— Unicameral Update, January 30, 2009

 

Bipartisan Senate group tries to trim stimulus bill

WASHINGTON—Senators from both parties wrangled over the fine print in the nearly $1 trillion economic stimulus bill Thursday, as President Barack Obama ramped up pressure on lawmakers to wrap up their work before the economic crisis turns into a "catastrophe."

A group of 15 to 20 senators huddled at the Capitol to scrub the legislation for potential spending cuts, an effort to lower the cost of the measure enough to attract reluctant Republicans whose votes are necessary for passage. They emerged from a second meeting Thursday saying more work needs to be done.

Senator Ben Nelson (D., Neb.) one of the most conservative members of the Democratic Senate caucus, said he would still have "a very difficult time" voting for the bill. "We're not there yet, but that doesn't mean we're not going to get there," said Senator Nelson.  Read more.

— Wall Street Journal, February 5, 2009

 

Obama signs children's health initiative into law

The House gave final approval to a bill extending health insurance to millions of low-income children, and President Obama signed it later in the day. Obama hopes it is the first in what will be many steps to guarantee coverage for all Americans. Since August 2007, the House has voted at least seven times for legislation to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program, but prior efforts were thwarted by the Bush White House. Read more.

— CNN, February 5, 2009

 

Dems tell Obama: Let’s pass health care reform in '09

WASHINGTON—The Obama administration may lack a czar to lead its health reform campaign but two key senators are telling the president that they are ready to pass a bill this year.

In a letter sent to President Obama on Thursday, Senators Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Max Baucus (D-Mont.) assert the need to act quickly to overhaul the U.S. health care system.

"We are writing to affirm our continuing commitment to enacting comprehensive health care reform this year,” wrote Kennedy and Baucus, who chair two committees that will take the lead in drafting legislation to carry out Obama’s health agenda. Read more.

— The Hill, February 5, 2009

 

AHA voices support for health care privacy amendments to H.R. 1

The AHA Thursday expressed support for health care privacy amendments proposed by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Herb Kohl (D-WI) to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. AHA said Klobuchar’s amendment would protect the quality assurance activities of hospitals, which must be able to make appropriate use of patients’ medical information to continually improve the care they deliver.

“Activities like infection surveillance, disease management, and care coordination are essential and could be adversely affected if patient information were de-identified or if prior written consent were required for each quality activity,” AHA wrote.

Kohl’s amendment would require the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to consider the cost of complying with the legislation’s “accounting for disclosures” provision and provide flexibility in applying the effective dates for moving to this expanded reporting, which AHA called “a necessary addition given the schedule for developing standards and issuing regulations.”

— AHA News Now, February 6, 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.

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