Rotunda Archive

March 27, 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 support or opposition at bill hearings

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

• LB 294 - Change the length of time for county building levies
• LB 369 - Appropriate funds for the Every Woman Matters Program. View
• LB 459 - Appropriate funds for the Stay in the Game Program. View
• LB 680 - Appropriate funds to carry out the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. 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.

 

Legislative bills 385 and 386 monitored

LINCOLN—The legislature had hearings this week on LB 385 which would terminate sales tax provisions and LB 386 which would change and suspend sales tax exemptions, change collection fees, change tax rates and state intent relating to property tax relief. The Nebraska Hospital Association is carefully monitoring LB 385 and LB 386.

Andy Pollock, lobbyist for Friends of Nebraska Nonprofit Hospitals, provided a letter in opposition to LB 385, which was signed by 48 different groups. View letter.

 

All day debate begins on March 31

Following a four-day recess, members of the Nebraska Legislature will return on Tuesday, March 31, when they will begin all day floor debate. Lawmakers have spent their afternoon hours in committee hearings on pending legislative proposals. For the remainder of the session, the Legislature’s attention will be focused mostly on priority bills and the two-year budget.

With most public hearings concluded, the Appropriations Committee will intensify its budget work. But no final budget recommendation is expected until the state forecasting board convenes again in late April to revise its projections. Under the Legislature’s rules, the Appropriations Committee has until April 29 to place budget bills on General File. The full Legislature must pass appropriations bills by the 80th day (May 18) in a long session.

Priority bills are generally scheduled for debate before other bills. The Speaker may select up to 25 priority bills per session. Each senator may select one priority bill, and each committee may select two priority bills. Click here to view priority bills.

 

VoterVOICE makes communicating with senators and federal delegation simple

Nebraska’s hospitals face numerous challenges to their mission of providing high-quality health care to the communities they serve. Legislative and regulatory actions taken by federal, state and local governments often greatly impact these challenges. It is imperative for hospital representatives to voice their opinion about the critical issues currently affecting hospitals.

In response to the challenges, the Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA) works aggressively to educate key elected officials, community stakeholders and others regarding the manner in which our member hospitals care for the overall well being of their communities. As part of these efforts, the NHA utilizes an online advocacy tool—VoterVoice—to help members quickly and easily communicate with government officials about important health issues.

Once users have signed up for VoterVoice, they have the option of participating in grassroots activities. When critical issues arise, the NHA prepares and delivers advocacy alerts straight to subscribers' e-mail inboxes. These alerts provide information on what the legislation is and how it might affect hospitals, talking points on the issue, and a draft letter for hospital staff to send to their representatives. All they need to do is personalize their message and click “Send” to instantly take action.

How it works:
1. Visit http://www.nhanet.org/advocacy/action_center.htm
2. Go to “CRegister to receive Legislative Action Alerts.”
3. Enter your information.
4. Instantly become a grassroots advocate for Nebraska’s hospitals and health systems.



 

Committee hears stimulus fund suggestions

LINCOLN— The Appropriations Committee heard testimony March 26 on a bill that would provide a structure for appropriating federal stimulus funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). LB 680, introduced by Elk Creek Senator Lavon Heidemann on behalf of the committee, contains language necessary for incorporating ARRA funds into the state’s appropriations process. Representatives from over a dozen entities presented projects for the committee to consider as it makes funding decisions regarding ARRA monies. Read more.

— Unicameral Update, March 27, 2009
 

Lawmakers advance illegal immigration proposal

LINCOLN— Lawmakers advanced an illegal immigration proposal March 26 that would require electronic verification of legal status for some employees and applicants for public benefits. LB 403, introduced by Wilber Senator Russ Karpisek at the request of the governor, would prohibit state agencies and political subdivisions from providing federal, state or local public benefits to individuals not lawfully present in the United States. Read more.

— Unicameral Update, March 26, 2009

 

House panel passes FY 2010 budget resolution

WASHINGTON—The House Budget Committee Wednesday voted 24-15 to approve a fiscal year 2010 budget resolution, which contains a deficit-neutral reserve fund that would allow for future health care reform legislation.

In addition, the budget blueprint includes reconciliation instructions for the House Ways & Means and Energy & Commerce committees to each find $1 billion in savings from programs in their jurisdictions to help pay for health care reform.

Reconciliation is a fast-track process that limits debate on a bill and requires a simple majority vote for passage. The resolution also would accommodate reform of the Medicare physician fee schedule.

The Senate Budget Committee was expected to vote on its FY 2010 budget resolution Thursday night.

— AHA News, March 27, 2009

 

Leaders of major national organizations collaborate on approaches to health reform

WASHINGTON—Leaders from widely diverse national organizations today stressed their mutual commitment to reform of the nation’s health care system, calling it an “urgent, national necessity” that requires different stakeholders to cooperate in ways that they did not in previous reform efforts. The organizations, in identifying a number of policy approaches where they have reached consensus, pledged to work with lawmakers and each other to support the enactment of comprehensive reform this Congress.

Through a process they called Health Reform Dialogue, the organizations began holding facilitated discussions six months ago in order to create a forum outside of the political arena for exchanging views on tough policy issues. The participants—all principals of their respective organizations—launched the process to foster a greater sense of cooperation in the forthcoming national health reform debate, and provide broad-based support for congressional health reform efforts. In addition to sharing candid perspectives with each other privately before formal debate on health reform begins, the participants found areas of early consensus they believe can provide Congress with a solid foundation for reforming the health system.

“We entered this process knowing that the issues are complex, and with no illusions that these groups would reach agreement on every aspect of reform. But the diversity of perspectives that were shared at one table, and the spirit of commitment from all sides, made these discussions totally unlike anything that happened in 1994, and that bodes well,” said Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO, American Hospital Association. “Now more than ever before, all of us agree that fundamental reform of the nation’s health care system is critical—right now, this year—and is essential for every sector of society. The American people want bipartisan, responsible reform, and all of us do, too.” Read more.

— American Hospital Association press release, March 27, 2009

 

Obama favors building on current health care plan

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama says the ideal path to universal health care is to build on the current system that relies in part on employer plans rather than scrap what has existed for generations.

Asked at his online town hall why the U.S. couldn't opt for a European system, Obama said the United States has a legacy of employer-based plans that have filled the needs of a majority of Americans. He said the country has a set of institutions that aren't easily transformed.

He said he is looking to Congress to find that optimal system and it needs to be overhauled now rather than waiting for decades.

He said the biggest driver of the nation's long-term deficit is Medicare and Medicaid.

— AP/Yahoo News, March 27, 2009

NHA 2009 Advocacy Day
March 31, 2009
8 a.m. - 1 p.m.
The Cornhusker Marriott Hotel
 

Thank you, Sponsors:

Legislative Luncheon Table Sponsors




Legislative Luncheon Table Sponsors

Legislative Luncheon Table Sponsors



Legislative Luncheon Table Sponsors
Alegent Health
Creighton University Medical Center
The MMIC Group
The Nebraska Medical Center
Pinpoint Communications, Inc.
Visions in Architecture

Contributor Sponsors
Cada, Frocheiser, Cada Hoffman Humana
Friends of Nebraska Nonprofit Hospitals
Knudsen, Berkheimer, Richardson & Endacott, LLP
Ruth Mueller Robak LLC
 

AHA Annual Membership Meeting


Join your colleagues April 26–29 in Washington, D.C., at the 2009 AHA Annual Membership Meeting to hear the latest on the forces buffeting health care, and to take hospitals’ message to Capitol Hill. The agenda includes prominent keynote speakers such as former Nightline host Ted Koppel, former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher and former Secretary of State James Baker ... executive briefings on important health care topics, an opportunity to earn ACHE credits … and more!
 

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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