Wednesday, April 28, 2004

HEALTH ACCESS ALERT
Wednesday, April 28th, 2004

UPDATE ON HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION: RESULTS FROM THE BOX OFFICE
* Bills Move Forward on Prescription Drugs, Out-of-pocket Costs, Access to Coverage

In the last month, bills on prescription drug costs, out-of-pocket costs, access to coverage, and other matters of concern to health care consumers were considered and moved along in the legislative process. Below is a report from Health Access legislative advocate Beth Capell:

The first round of legislative policy committee hearings has concluded for the most part. For legislation to proceed this year, each piece of legislation needed to pass the initial policy committee by this past Friday, April 23. Legislation that has survived the first committee now moves to the Appropriations Committee for consideration of the fiscal impact on state and local governments. Most of these bills will await the determination of the "suspense" list on or about Friday, May 21: Use of the suspense list allows the leadership of each house to weigh priorities by subject area and determine what is worth spending money on given the fiscal situation of the state. Once a bill comes off suspense, it has less than a week to pass the house of origin (that is, Assembly bills have a week to pass the Assembly and Senate bills have a week to pass the Senate).

LINKED to our web site are the letters that Health Access California has sent on those bills, which can be used as sample letters.


NOW SHOWING: Rx LEGISLATION MOVES FORWARD TO APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEES.

Several bills this year, sponsored by a range of consumer, senior, labor, and health care organizations, attempt to address the rising costs of prescription drugs. Most have passed the first policy committee, and they now are pending in the Appropriations Committee. A full list of the bills is available at: http://www.health-access.org/ourx_bill_rights.htm

In Assembly Appropriations Committee:
- AB1957 (Frommer): Websites to advise purchase prescription drugs from Canada.
- AB1959 (Chu): Legislative oversight of Medi-Cal and other state government prescription drug rebate programs.
- AB1960 (Pavley): Regulation of "PBM"s
- AB2326 (Corbett): Prescription Drug Report Card on efficacy and safety

In Senate Appropriations Committee:

• SB1149 (Ortiz): Website listing sources that are unsafe for purchasing drugs from Canada.


• SB1144 (Burton): Department of General Services to use Canadian sources for drugs for Corrections, state hospitals, and other select state agencies.


• SB 1170 (Ortiz): DHS to establish a Maximum Allowable Ingredient Cost lists within a year.


• SB1333 (Perata): Medi-Cal and the AIDS Drugs Assistance Program to reimburse pharmacies that purchase drugs from Canadian pharmacies.


• SB1765 (Sher): Codify the voluntary guidelines of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America PhRMA)on gifts, meals, and other inducements offered to prescribers.

THUMBS UP: "GOOD" BILLS GO FORWARD

OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS: AB2289 (Chan), sponsored by Health Access California, begins to address the issue of out-of-pocket costs for the insured. Costs for consumers are skyrocketing: as premiums climb, employers are shifting costs to working families through higher share of premium, higher co-pays, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs. AB2289 requires the Department of Managed Health Care and the Department Insurance to gather detailed information on what people with insurance are paying. This is a crucial step in getting costs for consumers under control. Please write in support! In Assembly Approps.

SB1192 (Chesbro) adds substance abuse coverage to existing law. Similar to mental health parity. Passed Sen. Ins. Goes to Sen. Approps.
http://www.health-access.org/docs/SB1192_hac_sen_ins.doc

SB1555 (Speier) adds maternity coverage to health insurance coverage. HMOs are already required to cover prenatal care but insurers can drop it. Prenatal care is cost-effective for the individual and for society. Passed Sen. Insurance. Goes to Sen. Approps.
http://www.health-access.org/docs/SB1555_hac_sen_ins.doc

AB2185 (Frommer) adds asthma devices such as nebulizers to coverage. Similar to law on diabetes supplies. Passed Assembly Health. Goes to Approps.
http://www.health-access.org/docs/AB2185_hac_assm_health.doc

AB2324 (Chan), sponsored by California Pan-Ethnic Health Network and Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, requires collection of data on race and ethnicity plus effortes to eliminate determinants of disparities. In Assembly Approps.
http://www.health-access.org/docs/ab2324_hac_assm_health.doc

AB2270 (Chan), sponsored by Consumers Union, streamlines school based Medi-Cal administrative activities.
http://www.health-access.org/docs/ab2270_hac_assm_health.doc


THUMBS DOWN: MOST "BAD" BILLS BLOCKED

AB2996 (Richman) eviscerates coverage by allowing employers and HMOs to pick and choose what to cover. Employers and HMOs can drop any therapy, service or other benefit, including cultural and linguistic access, coverage for broken arms (but not broken legs), prenatal care, family planning, lung cancer (but not skin cancer), etc. FAILED ASSEMBLY HEALTH.
http://www.health-access.org/docs/ab2996_hac_assm_health.doc

AB2933 (Richman)seniors and persons with disabilities who depend on Medi-Cal into mandatory managed care without protecting against disruption of provider networks or assuring adequate services, including those appropriate for persons with disabilities. FAILED ASSEMBLY HEALTH.

AB2985 (McCarthy) suspends SB2, the California Health Insurance Act, for two years whenever unemployment is above 7% for one quarter. Puts at risk health coverage for millions of working Californians. Health coverage helps to fuel economic recoveries by preventing personal bankruptcies. NOT SCHEDULED FOR HEARING.
http://www.health-access.org/docs/AB2985_hac_assm_health.doc

AB2990 (McCarthy) permits health savings accounts to be combined with high deductible HMO coverage. Health savings accounts are great for high income, healthy individuals but bad for people with chronic conditions, those with low or moderate incomes, and women and children who need frequent care. NOT SCHEDULED FOR HEARING.
http://www.health-access.org/docs/AB2990_hac_asm_health.doc

AB2315 (Maldonado) authorizes state income tax deductibility of health savings accounts. Health savings accounts are great for high income, healthy individuals but bad for people with chronic conditions, those with low or moderate incomes, and women and children who need frequent care. On suspense list in Assembly Rev and Tax.
http://www.health-access.org/docs/AB2315_hac_asm_rev_and_tax.doc

AB1888 (Nakanishi) authorizes state income tax deductibility of medical savings accounts. Similar to health savings accounts, medical savings accounts are great for high income, healthy individuals but bad for people with chronic conditions, those with low or moderate incomes, and women and children who need frequent care. Not scheduled for hearing.
http://www.health-access.org/docs/AB1888_hac_asm_rev_and_tax.doc


COMING SOON:

A few bills have not yet been heard in the policy committees, but have gotten waiver to be heard this week or next. These include:

AB2354 (Levine): Bans phony discount programs for health services. In Assembly Health. Health Access supports.
http://www.health-access.org/docs/ab2354_hac_assm_health.doc

AB2874 (Diaz): Limits closure of hospital emergency rooms if detrimental impact on community. In Assembly Health. Health Access supports. (No letter yet)

SB1509 (Alpert): Controls hospital costs through better disclosure of financial situation of non-profits plus allowing greater market power to purchasers like PERS. In Senate Health. Health Access supports. (No letter yet)

SB1349 (Ortiz): Separates regulation of HMOs by shifting regulation of financial viability of HMOs from DMHC to Department of Insurance but NOT shifting regulation of quality of care. Use rate regulation methodology similar to that for auto insurance without adapting it for health insurance. Health Access watch. (No letter yet)

SB1679 (Perata): Allows ER docs and hospitals to balance bill insured consumers, refer them to collections, and take other aggressive action even though the consumer reasonably sought emergency care and has insurance. Intended to facilitate payment of ER docs and hospital ERs. In Sen. Ins. Health Access oppose unless amended to protect consumers.
http://www.health-access.org/docs/sb1679_hac_sen_ins.doc

---

Labels: Updates

posted by Anthony Wright | Permalink | 9:45 AM


 

Wednesday, April 14, 2004

HEALTH ACCESS UPDATE
Tuesday, April 13th, 2004


GOOD AND BAD BILLS ON HEALTH COVERAGE TO BE CONSIDERED

From Health Access legislative advocate Beth Capell: The California Legislature is about to consider numerous bills affecting whether consumers can obtain health care when they need it. Letters to a committee are generally due 6 days prior to the hearing to be reflected in the analysis, but letters to committee members are timely up to the time of the hearing. Please click on the bill numbers below to view letter.

Bills That Expand Consumer Protections:

SB1192 (Chesbro) adds substance abuse coverage to existing law. Similar to mental health parity. Sen. Insurance. Wed 4/21.

SB1555 (Speier) adds maternity coverage to health insurance coverage. HMOs are already required to cover prenatal care but insurers can drop it. Prenatal care is cost-effective for the individual and for society. Sen. Insurance Wed 4/21.

AB2185 (Frommer) adds asthma devices such as nebulizers to coverage. Similar to law on diabetes supplies. Assembly Health Tues. 4/20.

Bills That Take Away Protections or Coverage:

AB2996 (Richman) eviscerates coverage by allowing employers and HMOs to pick and choose what to cover. Employers and HMOs can drop any therapy, service or other benefit, including cultural and linguistic access, coverage for broken arms (but not broken legs), prenatal care, family planning, lung cancer (but not skin cancer), etc. Assembly Health Tues 4/13.

AB2985 (McCarthy): suspends SB2, the California Health Insurance Act, for two years whenever unemployment is above 7% for one quarter. Puts at risk health coverage for millions of working Californians. Health coverage helps to fuel economic recoveries by preventing personal bankruptcies. Assembly Health Tues 4/20.

AB2990 (McCarthy): permits health savings accounts to be combined with high deductible HMO coverage. Health savings accounts are great for high income, healthy individuals but bad for people with chronic conditions, those with low or moderate incomes, and women and children who need frequent care. Assembly Health Tues 4/20.

AB2315 (Maldonado): authorizes state income tax deductibility of health savings accounts. Health savings accounts are great for high income, healthy individuals but bad for people with chronic conditions, those with low or moderate incomes, and women and children who need frequent care. Assembly Rev and Tax Mon 4/19.

AB1888 (Nakanishi): authorizes state income tax deductibility of medical savings accounts. Similar to health savings accounts, medical savings accounts are great for high income, healthy individuals but bad for people with chronic conditions, those with low or moderate incomes, and women and children who need frequent care. Assembly Rev and Tax, probably Mon 4/19.

---
Anthony E. Wright
Executive Director
Health Access
1127 11th St., #234, Sacramento, CA 95814
Ph: 916-442-2308, Fx: 916-497-0921
awright@health-access.org

Labels: Updates

posted by Anthony Wright | Permalink | 9:40 AM


 

Tuesday, April 13, 2004

HEALTH ACCESS UPDATE
Monday, April 12, 2004

BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEES ON HEALTH CONSIDER CUTS
* Enrollment Caps Rejected Again, by Assembly Subcommittee
* New Scrutiny and Information on Medi-Cal Redesign


Earlier today, both the Assembly and Senate Budget Subcommittees on Health
considered a range of health care cuts, and heard testimony from numerous
organizations representing consumers, providers, and communities throughout
the state. ATTACHED is an UPDATED Health Cuts Budget Scorecard indicating
the actions to date on the proposed cuts.


ENROLLMENT CAPS REJECTED BY ASSEMBLY SUB: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee
on Health, chaired by Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, followed the lead of its
Senate counterpart in rejecting the full range of proposed enrollment caps.
The committee rejected proposals to deny coverage to children applying to
get Healthy Families coverage; children with disabilities applying to get
into California Children's Services (CCS); recent legal immigrants applying
to get Medi-Cal; undocumented pregnant women and infants, as well as
long-term care to undocumented seniors, applying to get Medi-Cal; immigrants
with cancer applying to get into the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment
Program in Medi-Cal; and hemophelia patients and others applying to get into
the Genetically Handicapped Persons Program.

The Assembly Subcommittee heard a large amount of testimony on both the
enrollment caps, provide rate reductions, and the proposal Medi-Cal
redesign, from a full range of organizations, including people that packed
both the small hearing room and the overflow area. The Subcommittee decided
to hold the provider rate cut proposal open, and did not take a formal
action.


NEW INFO ON MEDI-CAL REDESIGN: Both subcommittees heard testimony regarding
concerns about the Medi-Cal redesign process and proposals, and new
information came out about the proposals. In both subcommittees, Director of
Health Services Sandra Shewry described the workgroups and processes, and
hinted at the proposal that is expected to be submitted to the legislature
by the May Revise.

She passed out documents that will be used for discussion at the April 14th
and 15th Medi-Cal redesign workgroups in Los Angeles. (For more information,
go to http://www.medi-calredesign.org) While she stressed that these were
not official proposals by the state and only for discussion, it was clear
that they represented the current thinking of what a potential Medi-Cal
waiver and proposal would look like.

One proposal was entitled "a conceptual framework for a tiered approach to
benefits and cost sharing," and also included charts indicating who got what
benefits and cost-sharing in each of the three tiers, but also the fiscal
analysis that presumes such changes would generate savings of over $111
million. This includes eliminating acupuncture and chiropractic services and
requiring co-payments for all Medi-Cal patients (and allowing providers to
refuse coverage if the co-pay is not paid.) It also includes higher co-pays,
premiums, and other cost-sharing for certain adult populations, including
paying 20% of the cost of benefits such as medical supplies and equipment,
nursing facility services, and many treatments. The documents are at:
http://www.medi-calredesign.org/eligibilityDocs.aspx

Another proposal under discussion is to geographically expand the reach of
Medi-Cal managed care, even though many of these counties have not proven to
be able to sustain managed care plans in either the private or Medicare
markets. The slide show of the discussion proposal is at:
http://www.medi-calredesign.org/managedCareDocs.aspx. The Assembly
Subcommittee explicitly rejected the notion to require aged, blind and
disabled populations to be enrolled in managed care. This was in response to
a Medi-Cal redesign discussion proposal to force seniors and people with
disabilities into managed care plans that may or may not include the
providers that they currently depend on.

SENATE EXAMINES OTHER COST SAVINGS: The Senate Subcommittee focused on a
range of proposals that had been enacted in past years to yield savings, but
seem not to have been implemented by the Department of Health Services. The
details are in the agenda, at:
http://www.senate.ca.gov/ftp/SEN/COMMITTEE/STANDING/BFR/_home/Agendas.htm


--
Anthony E. Wright
Executive Director
Health Access
1127 11th St., #234, Sacramento, CA 95814
Ph: 916-442-2308, Fx: 916-497-0921
awright@health-access.org

Labels: Updates

posted by Anthony Wright | Permalink | 8:48 AM


 

Monday, April 05, 2004

HEALTH ACCESS ALERT
Monday, April 5th, 2004


UPCOMING HEARINGS ON HEALTH
* Major Health Bills Up in Assembly Health Committee, Tuesday, April 13th
* Budget Subcommittee Hearings on Health Cuts, Monday, April 12th


ASSEMBLY HEALTH COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER KEY BILLS

The Assembly Health Committee, chaired by Assemblywoman Rebecca Cohn, will
vote on a number of important consumer health bills on TUESDAY APRIL 13 1:30
PM, at Rm. 4202 of State Capitol. A list of all the Assemblymembers that are
part of the Health Committee is ATTACHED. Here are some of the issues and bills
that will be considered:

OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS: AB2289 (Chan), sponsored by Health Access, begins to
address the issue of out-of-pocket costs for the insured. Costs for
consumers are skyrocketing: as premiums climb, employers are shifting costs
to working families through higher share of premium, higher co-pays,
deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs. AB2289 requires the Department of
Managed Health Care and the Department Insurance to gather detailed
information on what people with insurance are paying. This is a crucial step
in getting costs for consumers under control. A sample letter is ATTACHED. Please
write in support!

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: Several bills this year, sponsored by a range of
consumer, senior, labor, and health care organizations, attempt to address
the rising costs of prescription drugs. A coalition press conference is
scheduled for earlier that day. A full list of the bills is available at:
http://www.health-access.org/ourx_bill_rights.htm.

* AB1957 (Frommer): Websites for purchase of prescription drugs from Canada.
* AB1959 (Chu): Legislative oversight of Medi-Cal and other state
government prescription drug rebate programs.
* AB1960 (Pavley): Regulation of PBMs
* AB2326 (Corbett): Prescription Drug Report Card on efficacy and safety.

(In addition, SB1149 (Ortiz) on websites for purchase of prescription drugs
from Canada is scheduled to be heard in the SENATE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS
COMMITTEE, on MONDAY APRIL 12, at 1:30 PM.)

DATA COLLECTION: AB2324 (Chan) sponsored by California Pan-Ethnic Health
Network and Latino Coalition for a Healthy California requires collection of
data on race and ethnicity plus a task to eliminate underlying determinants
of racial and ethnic health disparities. Health Access supports.

SCHOOL ENROLLMENT: AB2270 (Chan) sponsored by Consumers Union streamlines
school based Medi-Cal administrative activities. Health Access supports.

BAD BILL ON SUBSTANDARD BENEFITS: AB2996 (Richman) allows substandard HMO
benefit packages: it allows employers buying coverage to exclude "therapies,
procedures, interventions, drugs, injectables, illnesses, conditions, and
any other cost items" without regard for existing law. This means that an
employer could exclude coverage of AIDS treatments, contraception, mental
health, cancer, diabetes, or anything else they felt like. It means an
employer could purchase coverage only for hospital care and not doctors. Or
only for chiropracters and acupuncture but not doctors or hospitals. It is
simply whatever the HMO and the employer agree on. It undermines the
consumer protections that have been fought for over many years. A sample
letter in opposition is ATTACHED. Please write in opposition!


HEALTH BUDGET HEARINGS ON MONDAY, APRIL 12th:

Budget Subcommittees on Health will consider key health cuts on Monday,
April 12th.
* The ASSEMBLY BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING ON KEY HEALTH CUTS is scheduled
for Monday April 12, at 4:00pm, Room 444.
* The SENATE BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING ON KEY HEALTH CUTS is also
scheduled for Monday April 12, at 1:30pm.


--
Anthony E. Wright
Executive Director
Health Access
1127 11th St., #234, Sacramento, CA 95814
Ph: 916-442-2308, Fx: 916-497-0921
awright@health-access.org

Labels: Updates

posted by Anthony Wright | Permalink | 9:22 AM


 

Thursday, April 01, 2004

HEALTH ACCESS UPDATE
Thursday, April 1, 2004

HEALTH CARE EVENTS SCHEDULED
* New Web-Based Health and Budget Advocacy Calendar
* Community Forums on Hospital Care
* State Town Hall Meetings on Budget Cuts
* Strategy Session for Advocates of Uninsured


NEW HEALTH AND BUDGET ADVOCACY CALENDAR

The Health and Budget Advocacy Calendar has now been put on the web! The
calendar is available at the Health Access website, at
http://www.health-access.org/calendar.htm. It has been newly-updated with
information on a full range of events of interest to health and budget
advocates. Hopefully, this new format will be more useful to advocates as a
way to better coordinate activities, prevent conflicts in scheduling, and
encourage greater participation in this movement. We welcome any feedback.

Below is information on a couple of community forums and town halls of
interest.


COMMUNITY FORUMS: "NEW DIRECTIONS FOR HOSPITAL CARE"

Health advocates are invited, on THURSDAY, APRIL 1st, from 6:00PM-8:00PM to
"Community Forums Addressing the Crisis in Our Hospitals and Solutions from
the Frontlines," sponsored by health care worker unions SEIU Locals 250 and
399. In SACRAMENTO and LOS ANGELES, join other health advocates, clergy,
elected officials, hospital workers, and other community leaders to examine
trends in California hospitals, hear testimony on the health care workforce
crisis, and review caregiver's proposals for policies to improve the
availability and quality of care. This in the context of 50,000 SEIU health
care workers negotiating union contracts this year with dozens of hospitals
around the state.
* In SACRAMENTO: at St. Joseph Catholic School, 1717 El Monte Avenue.
* In LOS ANGELES: at Precious Blood Church, Parish Hall, 435 South
Occidental


STATE BUDGET TOWN HALL MEETINGS

Dozens of statewide and local organizations, including Health Access, are
sponsoring a series of Town Hall Meetings designed to EDUCATE California
voters about how the Governor’s proposed budget cuts would affect them,
INFORM them of options including specific revenue increases, and ENGAGE them
in dialogue with legislators and the Governor.

ATTACHED and pasted below is a Save the Date flier. Please help spread the
word by forwarding this information to your email lists, including it in
your newsletters and posting it on your websites. Sponsoring groups include
the League of Women Voters, California Church Impact, Children's Defense
Fund, Congress of California Seniors, Health Access, California Alliance of
Retired Americans, Gray Panthers, California Hunger Action Coalition,
California Association of Food Banks, JERICHO, California Immigrant Welfare
Collaborative, California Partnership, Latino Issues Forum, Western Center
on Law and Poverty, California Food Policy Advocates and the Quality Home
Care Coalition. For general information on the town halls in general,
contact Jessica Rothhaar, jessicar@health-access.org, or 510-873-8787, x107.

* STOCKTON: Tuesday, April 6th, 6:30-8:00 pm
- Cathedral of the Annunciation, 425 West Magnolia (corner of Lincoln and
Rose)
For More Info: Sister Marti McCarthy, JERICHO, 916-441-0387 ext 305,
mmccarthy@jerichoforjustice.org
Fliers for the Stockton event are ATTACHED in English and Spanish

* FREMONT: Friday, April 16th, 10:30am - 12noon
- Centerville Presbyterian Church, 4360 Central Avenue (at Dusterberry,
one block off Fremont)
For More Info: Jessica Bartholow, Alameda County Food Bank, 510-834-3663
ext 307, jbartholow@accfb.org
Legislators attending: State Senator Liz Figueroa, State Assemblyman
John Dutra

* PLEASANTON: Thursday, April 29th, 7:30pm – 9:00pm
- Lynnewood United Methodist Church, 4444 Black Avenue, (just west of
Santa Rita)
For More Info: Maurine Behrend, Tri-Valley Interfaith Poverty Forum,
(925) 960-0251, povertyforum@sbcglobal.net

* FRESNO: Date TBA
For More Info: Tracy Pepper, SEIU 250, 559-277-1575, Tpepper@seiu250.org


HEALTH CARE ADVOCATES STRATEGY SESSION

Advocates of the uninsured are invited to participate in a strategy session
on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7th, from 10:00am-1:00pm, in SACRAMENTO. The topics will
include: the budget crisis and coordination of post-May Revise lobbying and
organizing; Cover the Uninsured Week and ways to use those activities to
further our agenda; and the campaign to defend SB 2 and other efforts around
protecting and expanding employer-based health care.

If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to Anthony Wright, Health
Access, at 916-442-2308, or awright@health-access.org.

--
Anthony E. Wright
Executive Director
Health Access
1127 11th St., #234, Sacramento, CA 95814
Ph: 916-442-2308, Fx: 916-497-0921
awright@health-access.org

Labels: Updates

posted by Anthony Wright | Permalink | 8:01 AM


 

Digging a bigger whole for reform...

 

Scoring at home...

 

We are hiring, to make a difference...

 

Field Poll: strong opposition to the health cuts.....

 

An Unhealthy Trend

 

Dressing up the Individual (Market)

 

A great debate on the great divide...

 

Jones to be chair of Health Committee...

 

Bass on the budget...

 

Pretty soon, the insureable will be a pretty exclu...