Legislative Update Week of September 24th

With the legislature winding down for the month of September, the last months of work for the legislators is starting to shape up. The Senate has started to focus on certificate of need reform and allowing for hospital to be built by McLaren in Clarkston. The Governor is focused on the transformation of Blue Cross / Blue Shield into a mutual insurer, and the House focusing on a variety of issues, let’s review the past couple weeks:

House:

Dr. Phillips and Mercantante
testifying in House Health
Policy Committee

The House Health Policy committee met this past week having two items on their agenda. The first was a presentation on the outbreak of the West Nile virus and the effects it’s having on the state. After the presentation they considered House Bill 5934 which would amend the Public Health code to allow for Expedited Partner Therapy in Michigan. Dr. James Phillips, a MD and health officer for Hillsdale, Branch and Hillsdale counties testified for the Medical Society in support of the package. Dr. Annette Mercantante, a MD as well and health officer of St. Clair county testified for the Michigan Association of Local Public Health (MALPH) and for Michigan Association of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Physicians (MAPPP). The Michigan Association of Justice came to the committee to oppose the bills since the legislation sets a gross negligence standard for physicians who utilize EPT and there is an adverse reaction to the antibiotics given for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. The bill was sent to a work group where hopefully in October, when the House comes back for one day it will be considered by the committee for a vote.

The House Transportation committee continued the work of the Senate and considered Senate Bills 402 and 403. Testimony was taken on these bills similar to what was testified in the Senate and were reported out of committee on Thursday after the committee took a bunch of testimony on regional transit authority issues in Southeast Michigan. Hopefully these bills will be taken up by the House in the coming months and sent to the Governor for his signature. The House Insurance committee started taking testimony on the mutualization of Blue Cross/Blue Shield. This will be a highly contentious issue and one that will on the front burner until the end of the year.

Senate:

The Senate Insurance committee starting taking testimony on Senate Bills 1293 and 1294 that would allow for the mutualization of the Blues. The Attorney General Bill Schuette testified to both the House and Senate committee that he will trust but needs to verify that the conversion will not harm those who depend on the Blues for their insurance. The Senate will continue to take testimony on the legislation but it could be expected for the Senate to take a vote on the legislation in November to push it to the House. Currently the House does not seem interested in pushing this legislation forward so quickly which could push this issue into the New Year.

The Senate Economic Development committee for the past couple weeks has been considering Senate Bill 1269 which would amend the certificate of need statute but also allow McLaren to build a hospital in Clarkston. Testimony was given for and against the bill which lead to a substitute piece of legislation as was reported to the Senate floor on September 12 where the Senate approved the amendment and sent the legislation from second reading to the committee of the whole in the Senate. The timeline is unknown as of now but we could see the bill making its way to the House before Election Day.

Both the House and Senate will now take a break until October 17th when they will both be in for just that day.

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