Legislative Update Week of June 10th

With the clock ticking away on the amount of time left in the legislative calendar for this first part of the year, Medicaid reform was front and center throughout the entire week, leaving one chamber looking on to see what would be done. Let's review the past week.

House:

With the Senate looking on the House Michigan Competiveness Committee was signaling that there was a substitute bill to House Bill 4714 at the start of their meeting on Tuesday, where the committee continued to take testimony, this time from those individuals who are associated with the Tea Party. Comments offered to the committee from those testifying had nothing to do with the legislation but rather how they disliked the Affordable Care Act and any expansion of any government service or program. After the testimony from the Tea Party the committee adjourned and reconviened on Wednesday where they approved the legislation as substituted along with some amendments that were also tacked on by members of the committee. A further analysis of the legislation can be see here.

Dr. Kenneth Elmassian, President
of MSMS sharing his feelings
about the Michigan Medicaid Reform.

Wednesday the House moved the legislation through second reading leaving a showdown within the Republican caucus on Thursday to move the legislation out of the House to the Senate. The day started at it's usual time with both caucuses heading back to their respective rooms to discuss the upcoming vote on the Medicaid reform package. The subsititute stripped out some of the harsh language including the 48 month drop out of the program was changed to after 48 momths increasing co-pays for the program. Also an amendment was added that at the end of the 48 months a 90 day period would be added on to allow patients to be ready for the changes. After hours of working the room, those support the legislation were able to get the votes needed to pass the bill to the Senate with a vote of 76 for and 31 against.

Now the legislation heads to the Senate as they choose what to do with it over the summer break. The House did also send legislation to the Senate that would allow those who have military expereince to use that if they are looking to be licensed as an EMT. This was part of a larger package aimed to help veterans coming home looking for a job.

With a week left there are several issues still on the docket that both chambers are looking to complete before the summer break. Stay with MSMS to get the up to date information on the issues that will effect the physician community. Go to http://www.msms.org/advocacy to get all the information.