Impact of Political-Regulatory Action on Health Care
SENATE BILL 475/ HOUSE BILL 1021
SENATE BILL 475/ HOUSE BILL 1021
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FOR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE ASSISTANCE TO SMALL RURAL HOSPITALS.
This bill is one that will provide 12 million dollars over the course of the next two fiscal years to small rural hospitals in need of assistance with operations and infrastructure maintenance of the hospital. The monies would be in a general fund for the Department of Health and Human Service, the Office of Rural Health and Community Care. The office would have an advisory committee that would develop criteria for the distribution of funds. The criteria set would include the number of indigent patients the hospital serves, the number of Medicaid patients a hospital serves, the per capita income of the local population served by the hospital and the actual financial needs of the hospital itself. The monies would benefit development of regional care networks for mental health services, restructuring of emergency department and outpatient services and disease-focused regional referral and care networks. The advisory committee would oversee the criteria of the project, the allocation of funds and also monitor and evaluate the projects. I think that this bill awesome and can only enhance the healthcare opportunities in the communities that would benefit from it.
SENATE BILL 706
This bill is one that will provide 12 million dollars over the course of the next two fiscal years to small rural hospitals in need of assistance with operations and infrastructure maintenance of the hospital. The monies would be in a general fund for the Department of Health and Human Service, the Office of Rural Health and Community Care. The office would have an advisory committee that would develop criteria for the distribution of funds. The criteria set would include the number of indigent patients the hospital serves, the number of Medicaid patients a hospital serves, the per capita income of the local population served by the hospital and the actual financial needs of the hospital itself. The monies would benefit development of regional care networks for mental health services, restructuring of emergency department and outpatient services and disease-focused regional referral and care networks. The advisory committee would oversee the criteria of the project, the allocation of funds and also monitor and evaluate the projects. I think that this bill awesome and can only enhance the healthcare opportunities in the communities that would benefit from it.
SENATE BILL 706
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, OFFICE OF RURAL HEALTH, FOR RECRUITMENT ACTIVITIES.
Section 1 of this bill would allocate the sum of five million dollars over the course of the next two years to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Rural Health. The funds would be used for the Rural Obstetrical Care Incentive Fund in the Office of Rural Health to produce grants to physicians who are adversely affected by the high cost of professional liability insurance. The funds would be allocated solely for the purpose of subsidizing in whole or partially the costs associated with obtaining or maintaining professional liability insurance for physicians in defined health care manpower shortage areas of the State.
Section 2 of this bill will allocate the sum of 2.8 million dollars over the course of the next two years to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Rural Health. The monies would be used for recruitment incentives and practice support incentives for physicians who are practicing or intend to practice in defined health manpower shortage areas of the State.
I think this bill is a very good idea for rural healthcare. The benefits are well worth the means. There is an obvious need for healthcare providers in rural areas and the monies involved with this bill may be just the incentive that some physicians need to lure them in. The patients in the rural areas can only benefit from the addition of qualified physicians to their areas.
How does legislation impact the ability for payment of health care services?
I think that legislation can be both good and bad for the impact on payment of health care services. In some instances legislation has greatly benefited patients and patients' rights. Due to legislation, there is more regulation over pricing and an appeal process whenever patients have been denied coverage for certain procedures. However, with legislation there is also the red tape that goes along with that. Some patients wait for extended periods of time, when coverage has been denied, for an appeal process to take place.
Section 1 of this bill would allocate the sum of five million dollars over the course of the next two years to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Rural Health. The funds would be used for the Rural Obstetrical Care Incentive Fund in the Office of Rural Health to produce grants to physicians who are adversely affected by the high cost of professional liability insurance. The funds would be allocated solely for the purpose of subsidizing in whole or partially the costs associated with obtaining or maintaining professional liability insurance for physicians in defined health care manpower shortage areas of the State.
Section 2 of this bill will allocate the sum of 2.8 million dollars over the course of the next two years to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Rural Health. The monies would be used for recruitment incentives and practice support incentives for physicians who are practicing or intend to practice in defined health manpower shortage areas of the State.
I think this bill is a very good idea for rural healthcare. The benefits are well worth the means. There is an obvious need for healthcare providers in rural areas and the monies involved with this bill may be just the incentive that some physicians need to lure them in. The patients in the rural areas can only benefit from the addition of qualified physicians to their areas.
How does legislation impact the ability for payment of health care services?
I think that legislation can be both good and bad for the impact on payment of health care services. In some instances legislation has greatly benefited patients and patients' rights. Due to legislation, there is more regulation over pricing and an appeal process whenever patients have been denied coverage for certain procedures. However, with legislation there is also the red tape that goes along with that. Some patients wait for extended periods of time, when coverage has been denied, for an appeal process to take place.
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