MAA Legislative Update Week 5
Buck McAlpin
The sixth bill to be signed into law by the governor in 2014 is a tax relief billto reduce taxes, conform the state’s tax code to several federal provisions and repeal three business-to-business taxes.
Supplemental Finance Bills
On a non-budget year, all division and committee budget bills roll up into a single omnibus finance bill in each body. As a result, the conferees this year that will reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions are the Chairs of each committee. Both the House and Senate will compile and vote on their respective omnibus budget bill packages next week.HF3172 is the House vehicle for the package supplemental budget proposal.
The Health & Human Services Finance bill was assembled this week in the House and Chairman Lourey will mark up his Senate HHS Finance version on Monday. House provisions currently include Fairview’s Amplatz retroactive 10% rate cut exemption; Sanford’s Thief River Falls hospital construction moratorium exemption; Poison Information Centers study; a Legislative Health Care Workforce Commission to study and provide recommendations on strengthening the healthcare workforce; the Hospital Rebasing/APR-DRG/ICD-10 implementation bill; Long term care and waivered services increases; and, spoken language interpreters.
Health & Human Services Policy
The House and Senate Policy omnibus bills are wrapped up awaiting action on the respective floors.HF2402, as amended, passed out of committee last Friday evening as outlined in last week’s update.SenatorSheran advanced the senate companion, SF 2087, this week. Items of particular interest include: mammogram notices; stroke center registry criteria; a STEMI registry; AED registry; durable medical equipment changes: Health Care Homes Advisory Committee; continuing care provisions; licensure and licensing boards changes; pharmacist-administered vaccines; employer requirements regarding drug diversions; chemical dependency rates for culturally-specific CD programs; e-cigarettes prohibited in schools; Pharmacy Benefit Managers’ maximum allowable cost pricing; and banning tanning bed use by children.
Drug Diversion Reporting Requirements
SF1181, Sen. Nelson’s Drug Diversion Employer Reporting Mandate bill was included in the HHS Omnibus Policy Bill. This bill passed the house floor last year and never was moved off the senate floor before they adjourned for the year. This would require all employers to report any diversion.
Non-Emergency Medical Transportation
The Non-Emergency Medical Transportation legislation continued to move through committees last week with broad support from stakeholders and legislators. In the Senate we received a fiscal note to replace our 4.5% rate cuts from the past and the new program funding from DHS with an estimated impact of $6 million dollars. Senator Lourey laid the bill over for possible inclusion in the HHS budget bill, which will be presented, to the public on Monday. In the House side we hit a road block with the Chair of the committee stating he did not have the money for the NEMT legislation this session. After a great debate and support from the legislators it was clear that we would need to work hard to get this funded. We have been working with leadership and the Governors office on supporting this proposal.
Opiate Antagonists
This proposal has been moved to both floors in the senate and in the house and is awaiting passage in either body. Our main area of concern still is the issue of liability for our medical directors and providers. The two bills differ and the house language has the BLS ambulance language and the Senate does not. The bills are not alike and I am guessing the proposed legislation would need to go to a conference committee to reconcile the differences.
Synthetic Drugs
Rep. Simmonson’s HF2446 is the result of the House Select Committee on Controlled Substances and Synthetic Drugs’ recommendations. The companion bill, SF2028, authored by Sen. Reinert, the bill is waiting to be heard in senate finance and then off to the floor. The house version is scheduled to be heard in the Ways and Means Committee this next week and then to the floor for final passage. Senator Reinhart and Representative Simmonson have done exceptional work moving this important bill along.
Stroke Center
The stroke center legislation is included in both the Senate and the House Health and Human Services Policy Omnibus bill. It would require hospitals that certify as stroke centers to comply with the registry on stroke care and data submission.
Lab Tech Licensure
The Lab Tech bill, SF 133 (Hoffman), has passed the Senate and was sent to the floor for passage. The bill did not get any hearings on the House and did not meet committee deadlines. At this time it is apparent that lab licensure will not move forward this session.At this point we will not need our exemption amendment for EMS providers.
AED Registry
This language to develop a Statewide Registry for the AED’s is also included in both the House and Senate HHS Omnibus Policy bill. This bill was heard in numerous committees and the AHA staff did a great job answering questions of concern from advocacy groups.
Insurance Fraud Prevention
The Insurance fraud reform proposals, SF 2372 (Jenson) and HF 3073 (Atkins), both bills continue to move and are awaiting action in the finance committees. This legislation would give greater latitude to investigate fraud and hold providers who commit fraud accountable. In turn hopefully providing other funding opportunities for things like Trauma and EMS.
Employment Related Matters
As outlined in previous weekly updates, there are about a dozen employment bills expected to be rolled up into a Women’s Economic Security Act; most notably Pay Equity and Sick Time provisions. The authors have agreed to an amendment to exempt health care from many of the provisions within these bills. More details will unfold as the larger bill is completed.
Medical Marijuana
This topic popped up again at the Capitol and the media this past week as family members made a plea to the Governor and Legislators for help. They asked that some type of legislation be passed besides the $2 million dollars for the study the Governor recommended on the medical impact of marijuana usage.
Trauma and EMS Funding initiative
We continue to have ongoing discussions with legislators and advocates over the importance of this program in the next legislative session. We continue to work with the Health Policy chairs on some options to hold an informational hearing on the level of readiness of Trauma and EMS Care.
Taxing Districts Issues
This past week I testified with Senator Metzen on SF#558in Tax Committee. The legislation made a technical change to our EMS taxing district statute 144F. This proposal would move the cap from $400,00 to $600,000. At this point this bill will most likely be worked out in conference committee.
Volunteer Tax Exemption
This past week this bill was amended in the Omnibus Policy Tax Bill in the House to include some pilot projects around the state. The program will require MN Management and Budget to coordinate and issue $500 tax credits to incent recruitment and retention of Fire, EMS and First Responder personnel. A report will be due back to the legislature comparing the impact of recruitment and retention using this program. The bill is scheduled for next Tuesday in the Senate tax committee.
Community EMT
Senator Hayden introduced SF # 2862 and this past week Representative Fritz introduced the House version. This proposal develops a community EMT program similar to the Community Paramedic program legislation. The bill did not make committee deadlines and will not move forward this session. I have been in discussions with the Firefighters Union President Chris Parsons and others on some of the requirements around Scope changes at the legislature. Also we discussed the opportunities for further dialogue with the MAA in the near future.
Legislative Health Care Workforce Commission
Representative Huntley introduced a bill this past week to form a commission to work look at and make recommendations on the availability of practitioners to meet the needs of the Primary Care workforce. The proposal was included in the HHS House Finance bill. It will be decided in conference committee if the senate takes the house language and this program becomes law.
Disaster Assistance Fund Established
This legislation Sf # 2601 Cohen and Hf # 2701 Pelowski would establish a fund that would be managed by the Commissioner of Public Safety to provide disaster relief funding. The bill is moving through the finance committees and will be heading to the floor for passage. This is one of the initiatives the Association of Minnesota Emergency Managers has been moving forward this session.
HSPS Proposal
This legislation has been included in the HHS Policy Omnibus bill. After numerous hearings on what agency to house this program in and some timeline for reporting discussions the controversial parts of the bill seem to be agreed to by the stakeholders.
Stemi Registry
This legislation was also included in the House and Senate HHS Policy Bill and would require the Department of Health to develop and store in a registry confirmed Stemi cases. This program is voluntary for hospitals to participate in.
Riverwood Mental Health Services Closure
This issue will be discussed this coming Monday night at the Cambridge hospital. I would like to thank the ambulance managers that have RSVP’D for the event to provide some input. This issue is also being discussed around the Capitol with the Mental Health advocates. I am sure this will be an on-going discussion. MoBranWe a your local resource for
The Week Ahead
This week the Policy Omnibus Bills should be passed off the House and Senate floors and will be reconciled in Conference committee before final passage. Also the House will move their HHS Finance Bill through Ways and Means and then to the floor for passage. The Senate Health Finance bill will be wrapped up this week and will also go to the finance committee for approval and then to the Senate floor. I would guess we will begin to see longer floor sessions as the larger policy and budget bills go to the floor for passage.
MAA Monthly Legislative Meeting
Our monthly legislative meeting will be held noon this coming Tuesday at Health East Ambulance. A great option for our members in greater MN is to call in for the meeting on the usual conference call line.1-866-365-4406 access # 2512302.
MAA Membership Legislative Call at 10:00 a.m.
This Monday the 31st of March we will hold our weekly legislative call:10:00 a.m.
1-866-365-4406 access code # 2512302.