Date: 03/13/2006

Final
BILL SUMMARY for SB06-145

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Adopt L.006 (Attachment A). The motion passed wit
Adopt L.008 (Attachment B). The motion passed wit
Refer the bill, as amended, to the Committee of th		Pass Without Objection
Pass Without Objection
PASS


02:01 PM -- Senate Bill 06-145

Representative McCluskey, sponsor, presented the bill allowing local governments to impose a fee on certain medical providers for the purpose of obtaining federal financial participation under the Medicaid program. He distributed amendments L.006 and L.008 and a document from Children's Hospital to committee members (Attachments A, B, and C)). He stated the bill allows private hospitals to certify spending like public hospitals currently do.

The following persons testified.

02:08 PM -- Betsy Murray, Homecare Association of Colorado, spoke in support of the bill.

02:09 PM -- Carrie Curtiss, Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, spoke in support of the bill. She stated there is approximately $50 million of federal dollars that is going untapped by Colorado.

02:11 PM -- Pat Ratliff, Colorado Counties, Inc., spoke in support of the bill.

02:13 PM -- Scott Wasserman, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), spoke in support of the bill.

02:15 PM -- Cindy Sovine, Colorado Health and Hospital Association (CHA), spoke in support of the bill. She did state, however, that there are many unknowns because the proposed actions have not been done nationally. She answered questions about CHA's position on the bill if amendments are not adopted. Ms. Sovine and Representative Lundberg discussed concerns regarding the distribution of federal dollars that are gained through the bill's processes.

02:24 PM -- Don Vancil, Keisler Vancil, stated, as a financial officer for the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, he came up with the concept of certifying public hospital expenditures to pull down federal dollars. He distributed a document to committee members (Attachment D). He addressed questions about distribution of federal dollars to hospitals utilizing the bill's mechanisms. He answered questions about Children's Hospital's unreimbursed Medicaid costs ($49 million in 2003). Mr. Vancil described steps currently taken by public hospitals to receive additional federal dollars.


02:38 PM

Representative McCluskey stated the bill's provisions will not go forward until they receive federal approval. He answered questions about the Taxpayers' Bill of Rights (TABOR) and its impact on the bill's provisions. He discussed amendments L.006 and L.008. He described them both as technical amendments that address issues related to hospital reimbursement and federal approval.
BILL:SB06-145
TIME: 02:45:06 PM
MOVED:Stafford
MOTION:Adopt L.008 (Attachment B). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:Cloer
VOTE
Berens
Cloer
Green
Kerr
Lundberg
McGihon
Riesberg
Soper
Stafford
Sullivan
Excused
Weissmann
Frangas
Boyd
Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:SB06-145
TIME: 02:46:11 PM
MOVED:Cloer
MOTION:Adopt L.006 (Attachment A). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:Stafford
VOTE
Berens
Cloer
Green
Kerr
Lundberg
McGihon
Riesberg
Soper
Stafford
Sullivan
Excused
Weissmann
Frangas
Boyd
Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:SB06-145
TIME: 02:46:42 PM
MOVED:Cloer
MOTION:Refer the bill, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. The bill passed 12-0-1.
SECONDED:Stafford
VOTE
Berens
Yes
Cloer
Yes
Green
Yes
Kerr
Yes
Lundberg
Yes
McGihon
Yes
Riesberg
Yes
Soper
Yes
Stafford
Yes
Sullivan
Excused
Weissmann
Yes
Frangas
Yes
Boyd
Yes
Final YES: 12 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS