MASCA Legislative Report 1/14/2018
Attachments:
WCRI Study: Designing Workers’ Compensation Medical Fee Schedules, 2016
WCRI Study: Do Higher Fee Schedules Increase the Number of Workers’ Compensation Cases?
WCRI Study: Workers' Compensation Medical Cost Containment: A National Inventory, 2015.
Trending Articles:
Missourinet: Democratic poll shows McCaskill-Hawley race within margin of error Rosenbaum: Greitens railed against 'career politicians,' now few are coming to his rescue P-D: Woman at center of Greitens story asks for privacy; Greitens asks lawmakers for forgiveness SNL's Stephen Herzog: Why KMOV shouldn't have run woman's story without her consent Missourinet: Lawmakers react to Greitens' State of the State address
The Missouri Times: DHSS confirms PDMP is up and running
AP: Missouri revenue growth lags behind expectations Columbia Missourian's Steve Spellman: Legislative preview: State revenue, transportation, PDMP, marijuana and hemp, ethics
Key Legislative Updates:
Impact of Governor Greitens Scandal: While this week’s bombshell regarding Governor Eric Greitens’ admission to a 2015 extramarital affair has grabbed headlines around the nation, we do not anticipate that it will have a significant impact on pending legislation in the 2018 legislative session. The Governor has spent the last year branding himself as a political outsider and has not hesitated to launch attacks on fellow Republicans in the state legislature, meaning his relationships were already thin within the House and Senate long before this week’s drama about his affair. The only change in strategy is anticipating how much time will be consumed debating the Governor’s personal life instead of public policy. The Governor has announced he has no intentions to resign, a decision that ultimately hinges on whether or not additional information/evidence surfaces over the coming weeks. In the event that Greitens does resign, which appears highly unlikely at this point, Lt. Governor Mike Person (R-Bolivar) would be next in succession for Governor. Parson is a former sheriff, state representative and state senator from southwest Missouri.
Workers Compensation Bill: A large coalition of health care provider groups met with Sen. Dave Schatz (R-Sullivan) last week to express our concerns about SB 601, a bill he has introduced to implement a medical fee schedule for workers compensation claims in Missouri. He was upfront in reassuring us this was not his top priority, but rather a conversation starter to see if there is a more cost effective solution that is working in other states. We agreed to find as much data as possible, but warned that the cost savings he has been given from other states is specific to claims data and does not account for the amount of time someone is out of work as a result of reduced access and longer wait times. Moreover, premiums in states with fee schedules are not consistently lower than Missouri’s average workers compensation premiums.
Data on Workers Compensation: Here is a list of different articles discussing the pros and cons of workers compensation fee schedules. It’s important for us to understand what our opponents are using to support their arguments, and also identify data to counter their arguments. Note we have also attached a couple of national studies that we are still reviewing in more detail.
New work comp battle erupts (Illinois)
Difficult path seen for Illinois workers comp reform
Workers’ Compensation Fee Schedules: Price Impacts & Perverse Effects
STUDY: Workers’ Compensation Medical Fee Schedules - AAOS
TUESDAY - 01/16/18
House-Insurance Policy 1:30 PM, HR 4 Public Hearing:
Hill, Justin
Changes the law relating to short term medical policies sold in the state of Missouri.
Executive Session:
Engler, Kevin
Modifies provision of the Missouri life and health insurance guarantee act.
Committee Members: Engler, Kevin (R) / Wiemann, John D. (R) / Ellebracht, Mark (D) / Burns, Bob (D) / Messenger, Jeff (R) / Morris, Lynn (R) / Muntzel, Dave (R) / Pfautsch, Donna (R) / Shull, Noel (R) / Stephens, Mike (R) / Tate, Nate (R) / Unsicker, Sarah (D) / Wiemann, John D. (R) / Burnett, Ingrid (D) / Muntzel, Dave (R) / Shull, Noel (R)
Senate-Ways and Means 2:00 PM, SCR 1
Koenig, Andrew
Modifies several provisions relating to taxation
Eigel, Bill
Modifies several provisions relating to taxation
Committee Members: Wallingford, Wayne (R) / Koenig, Andrew (R) / Cierpiot, Mike (R) / Dixon, Bob (R) / Nasheed, Jamilah (D) / Onder, Bob (R) / Rizzo, John (D)
WEDNESDAY - 01/17/18
House-Health and Mental Health Policy 12:00 PM or Upon Adj., whichever is later, HR 7 Public Hearing:
Bahr, Kurt
Allows structured family caregiving as a covered service under MO HealthNet, subject to the approval of federal waivers.
