Legislative Update Iowa Legislature

By: Frank Severino, Sr.
 

Our strategic plan for the legislature has several focused issues, but the number one priority is to keep tort reform debate alive and work on new pieces of legislation in this area. Polk County Medical Society will devote whatever resources are necessary to accomplish this important endeavor.

Medical Reimbursement
PCMS supports the State of Iowa upholding its obligation to reimburse out physicians at a fair and equitable rate for providing quality care for the state’s medical recipients. Adequate funding is necessary to continue Medicaid recipients’ access to the high quality medical care. We need to be ever vigilant for a provider TAX.

Tobacco User Fee
PCMS supports the effort of the state to reduce tobacco use, especially among young people. We support increasing Iowa tobacco tax if the additional revenue is used for tobacco prevention programs, to pay for the cost of tobacco related health care or provide funds for the Medicaid program in Iowa.

Preferred Drug List
We are strongly opposed to any changes in the PDL with mental health drugs for Medicaid recipients because the PDL will put mental health patients at risk by limiting choices of medication or requiring stable patients to change medications.

Mental Health/Substance Abuse Parity
PCMS supports parity for mental health and substance abuse treatment coverage and payment under publicly and private funded health benefit plans.

Scope of Practice
PCMS values the role of allied health practitioners play in the health care delivery system but oppose efforts to expand the scope of practice. All professionals should practice within the scope of their training and licensure as currently defined by Iowa code.

Addressing the Medical Malpractice Insurance Crisis
States have several options to them to address the medical malpractice insurance problem: insurance market intervention, tort reforms, alternative dispute resolutions, and patient safety efforts.

We will in the final analysis be hard pressed to see any meaningful tort reform this year or next in Iowa. Our current Governor will not allow this to happen as a trial lawyer. We will keep the debate alive for the legislators.

Medical Budget
This issue has and will continue to dominate the debate at the capitol this year. Leading the 2004 expenditures of state funds were nursing facilities at $148 million and drugs at $100 million. The enrollment was 52.2% children in Medicaid followed by adults 21.8%, disabled at 16.4%, and elderly at 9.6%.

 

Fiscal Year 2005 Supplemental

-                      $60 million to $74 million estimated General Fund short fall
-                      $48 million one-time increase in federal funds discontinued in Fiscal Year 2005
-                      $9.5 million Hospital Trust Fund revenue short fall

Fiscal Year 2006 Increase

-                      $166 million to $214 million estimated General Fund increase

I am currently tracking for you some 38 bills on health that effect our membership.

GET INVOLVED - Participate in Making Iowa’s Laws

The state Senator and state Representative from your district are elected to represent your interest when making the laws of this state. Yet, you may think you have no role in the decisions made by those people you have elected. That’s not true. IT IS EASY TO GET INVOLVED AND MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD.

• Legislators are available by mail, phone and in person. During the legislative sessions, January to approximately April, both the Senate and the House have operators on duty to take phone calls and relay messages to legislators. If you visit the Capitol, you can arrange to meet with your legislators.
• When the Legislature is in session, you can watch debate from galleries in the House and Senate chambers. Committee meetings are open to the public as well, and you can attend public hearings on legislation that is of interest to you.

To contact your Senator during the legislative session at the Capitol, phone (515) 281-3371, or address mail to the Iowa Senate, State Capitol Building, Des Moines, Iowa 50319. To contact your Representative during the session, phone (515) 281-3221, or mail the Iowa House of Representatives, State Capitol Building, Des Moines, Iowa 50319. You may also contact the Iowa Legislators thru the PCMS website www.pcms.org.