Increase
access to healthcare - 2008
House Democrats call for expanding health care access
Streamlining
health care policies and illness prevention also key
JEFFERSON CITY,
Mo. – As part of
a comprehensive health care agenda for the 2008 legislative session,
the Missouri House Democratic Caucus proposes reversing the state’s
Medicaid cuts that resulted in 180,000 fewer Missourians – including
70,000 children – having access to health care services and
establishing a new Missouri Health Policy Authority to streamline
the state’s health care efforts.
Under changes in Medicaid eligibility enacted in
2005 by Gov. Matt Blunt and the Republican-controlled General
Assembly, a parent with two children who earns more than $292 a
month – just $3,504 a year – doesn’t qualify for coverage.
According to the Department of Social Services,
restoring coverage to 2005 levels would have cost the state $155.8
million in general revenue for the current fiscal year, which would
have allowed Missouri
to leverage an additional $265.3 million in federal Medicaid funds.
Instead, the legislature took the unprecedented step of leaving $320
million in available general revenue unspent in the current budget.
“Because of the state’s disastrous health care
policies, the number of uninsured Missourians has spiked nearly 16
percent – three times the national rate,” said House Minority Leader
Paul LeVota, D-Independence, citing U.S. Census Bureau figures
released this summer. “Cutting health care was a mistake and
thousands of Missourians have suffered as a result. We simply cannot
afford to let yet another year pass without undoing the damage.”
House Democrats’ health care agenda also includes
legislation by state Rep. Judy Baker,
D-Columbia, to establish a Missouri Health Policy Authority to
oversee the state’s role in health care, which is currently spread
over several state departments and numerous boards and commissions. Kansas was the first
state to establish such an authority and several others have since
followed suit.
“Instead of creating more bureaucracy Missouri must streamline
what it already has to ensure we get the most out of every taxpayer
dollar spent on health care,” Baker said. “This will provide us a
comprehensive and systematic approach to a pathway toward providing
access to health care coverage for all Missourians.”
The authority would consist of an 11-member board
of health care professionals appointed by the governor subject to
Senate approval. It would function as the umbrella state agency for
comprehensive health care policy. An office of inspector general
would be established under the authority as a watchdog for corporate
provider fraud and abuse and to ensure efficient allocation of state
health care resources.
The Democratic plan also emphasizes prevention
measures, including addressing Missouri’s ranking among the worst states in
terms of smoking and obesity rates. House Democrats are calling for
at least $6 million to be allocated in next year’s budget for
smoking cessation programs.
To combat childhood obesity House Democrats
support requiring public schools to provide children in kindergarten
through eighth grade with at least 30 minutes of physical activity a
day. High school students would be required to take at least two
credits of physical education over four years instead of the current
one credit. High schools would also to be required to develop
policies regarding personal fitness plans for every student.
On the issue of patient privacy, state Rep. Mike
Talboy, D-Kansas
City, will sponsor
legislation requiring medical providers to inform patients in the
event their medical information is improperly disclosed to a third
party. State law currently imposes no duty on medical providers to
do so.
Increase
access to healthcare - 2007
1.
HB 72
Baker, Judy
Increases the resource limit for eligibility for medical assistance
(LR# 76L.01I)
2.
HB 149
Salva, Ray
Authorizes an income tax deduction for health insurance premiums not
already deducted on the taxpayer's state or federal tax returns (LR#
381L.01I)
3.
HB 156
Talboy, Mike
Requires pharmacies to dispense all valid, lawful prescriptions for
contraceptives without delay (LR# 646L.01I)
4.
HB 204
Whorton, James
Allows any resident of a nursing home who receives Missouri Medicaid
Program benefits to retain not less than $50 per month for
discretionary spending (LR# 621L.01I)
5.
HB 321
Baker, Judy
Establishes the Office of the Missouri Surgeon General within the
Department of Health and Senior Services (LR# 1051L.01I)
6.
HB 383
Wildberger, Edward
Authorizes Missouri residents to deduct from their taxable income
100% of all nonreimbursed amounts paid for long-term care insurance
premiums (LR# 684L.01I)
7.
HB 424
Whorton, James
Increases the resource limit for eligibility for medical assistance
(LR# 620L.01I)
8.
HB 450
Baker, Judy
Establishes the Missouri Health Profession Shortage Planning
Commission to develop recommendations regarding the health
profession workforce (LR# 664L.02I)
9.
HB 484
Hughes, Leonard
Establishes the Missouri Universal Health Insurance Act to provide
comprehensive and necessary health care services for Missouri
residents (LR# 1213L.02I)
10.
HB 541
Low, Beth
Requires health insurers to provide coverage for human
papillomavirus testing as a cervical cancer screening test (LR#
1115L.01I)
11.
HB 559
Skaggs, Trent
Authorizes an individual income tax credit for the costs of
receiving human infertility treatments (LR# 1412L.01I)
12.
HB 713
Komo, Sam
Allows certain small employers to obtain medical coverage through
the Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan (LR# 1763L.01I)
13.
HB 802
Page, Sam
Adds the inoculation for human papilloma virus to the list of
required immunizations for school attendance (LR# 2005L.01I)
14.
HB 897
Harris, Belinda
Allows either the county commission or the county health center
boards to promulgate health rules (LR# 1459L.01I)
15.
HB 964
Donnelly, Margaret
Establishes a pilot project within the Department of Mental Health
to form four assertive community treatment teams to implement the
ACT model of mental health treatment (LR# 2205L.01I)
Increase Access to Healthcare -2006
- Increase Medicaid funding by decreasing funding for
legislators' health care packages
(HA 4 HB 12)
Sponsor: Rep. Trent Skaggs
- Amendment would decrease $281,602 from HB 12 to increase
Missourians' healthcare funding by the same amount in HB 11.
-
Restore access to Missourians'
affected by the Medicare Part D Clawback
(HCR
19)
Sponsor: Rep. Judy Baker
- Not allow the federal government to force the State of Missouri pay for a federal program.
- Money to be used to restore Medicaid cuts to the elderly, disabled, and working poor.
- Ensure the future of Missouri's Medicaid program
(HB 2002)
Sponsor: Rep. Yaphett El-Amin
- Repeals the sunset provision of Missouri's Medicaid
Program to extend the program beyond its 2008 expiration.
- Improve access to rural hospitals
(HB 1580)
Sponsor: Rep. Wes Shoemyer
- Set aside 5 percent of the money it approves for infrastructure and economic
development projects each year for improvements at critical access hospitals with
25 or less beds.
- Require continued coverage of children with chronic diseases
(HB 1612)
Sponsor: Rep. Sam Page
- Allows young adults age 18 through 24 who suffer from chronic diseases, such as congenital heart disease, asthma or diabetes, to remain as dependents covered by their parents’ health insurance policies
- Reform medical malpractice insurance and control rates
(HB 1943)
Sponsor: Rep. Terry Witte
- Place more controls over medical malpractice rates.
- Require insurers to justify rate increases in excess of 15 percent to Department of Insurance.
- Create tax credits for health care providers to help offset the high-cost of medical malpractice insurance.
- Improve healthcare oversight by creating a state Surgeon General
(HB 1332)
Sponsor: Rep. Judy Baker
- Physician appointed by governor for 4 year term.
- Serves as chairperson of the State Board of Health and advises to the Director of the Department of Health and Senior Services.
- Adjust medical malpractice premiums by county
(HB 1046)
Sponsor: Rep. J.C. Kuessner
- Make persons who have been diagnosed with cancer eligible
for Missouri Medicaid benefits
(HB 1334)
Sponsor: Curt
Dougherty
- Establish the Health Profession Shortage
Planning Commission
(HB 1388)
Sponsor: Judy Baker
- Modify the requirements for receipt of medical assistance
(HB 1568)
Sponsor: Rep. J.C. Kuessner
- Requires the Department of Social Services to determine
the eligibility of an employed disabled person requesting
medical assistance
- Create the Health Care Whistleblower Protection Act
(HB 1985)
Sponsor: Rep. Paul LeVota
- Creates protection for health care professionals from
retaliatory actions by employers for reporting violations of
law.
- Create the Safe Patient Care Act
(HB 1977)
Sponsor: Rep. John Burnett
- This bill would regulate mandatory overtime of health
care workers so no employee could be forced or
coerced into working overtime by their employer.
- Require hospitals to post staffing information in patient
care areas
(HB 2082)
Sponsor: Rep. Beth Low
- Requires hospitals to compile and post daily staffing information in patient care areas of each unit of the hospital
- Improve fairness for Missouri's small businesses
(HB 985)
Sponsor: Rep. Tim Meadows
- Establishes the Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2006 and requires certification of trade associations for the purpose of providing health insurance to their members
- Improve prescription drug accessibility for seniors
(HB 986)
Sponsor: Rep. Tim Meadows
- Establishes the Missouri Senior Prescription Drug Plan to provide Medicare Part D gap coverage for the elderly
- Create a deduction for Long Term Care Insurance
(HB 1121)
Sponsor: Rep. Ed Wildberger
- Allows Missouri residents to deduct from their taxable income 100% of all non-reimbursed amounts paid for long-term care insurance premiums
- Increase accessibility to durable medical equipment providers
(HB 1174)
Sponsor: Rep. Wes Shoemyer
- Requires health insurance carriers to include certain durable medical equipment providers in their service provider networks
- Increase medical assistance for children
(HB 1636)
Sponsor: Rep. Rachel Storch
- Requires the Department of Social Services to determine if a child who became ineligible for state medical assistance has health insurance six months after becoming ineligible
- Add young adults to the Consolidated Health Care Plan
(HB 2086)
Sponsor Craig Bland
- Allows young adults to participate in the Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan
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