Legislature Establishes Interim Committees, Study Topics

The Legislature's Joint Committee on Government and Finance met last week to hear reports from state agency heads and to establish the interim studies for the Summer and Fall.  As usual, the Legislature will meet monthly to study various issues of interest with the goal of determining the topics which merit the development of legislation for the coming Session. 

The Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability (LOCHHRA) was reestablished and will focus on a review of issues relating to DHHR, CHIP etc. 

The Joint Committee also assigned study resolutions passed by the House or Senate this past Session to various committees. Among those committees is the Select Committee on Health to which the following studies were assigned:

• HCR 5  Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study the safety issues of those who provide home visits to families in West Virginia.
• HCR 53 Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to conduct a study on identifying good perinatal health education models or developing models in West Virginia.
• HCR 58 Requesting the Legislature to establish a Joint Legislative Committee on Substance Abuse and Public Assistance.
• HCR 91 Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to conduct a study on establishing a program to permit medicine aides who are certified to administer certain drugs.
• HCR 93 Requesting the Committee on Government and Finance to conduct a study on methadone treatment centers in West Virginia.

Other committees which will study healthcare issues include the Joint Standing Committee on Education which will study the Rural Health Education Partnership and the Select Committee on PEIA, Seniors and Long Term Care.

The WVSMA will actively monitor these meetings over the coming months and report on the progress of the discussions.  You may visit the Legislative website for information about the interim committees and their members.

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AMA at Forefront on Federal Health System Reform

• Expand coverage
• Improve quality
• Reform government programs
• Reduce cost
• Increased focus on wellness and prevention
• Payment and delivery reforms

The following is information issued by the AMA earlier this week:

AMA Outlines Initiatives to White House to Help Slow Increases in Health Spending

Contributes to effort to bend spending curve to help move health reform forward

For immediate release
June 1, 2009

Statement Attributable to:
Nancy H. Nielsen, MD
President, American Medical Association

“The American Medical Association (AMA) joined with five other organizations in the health sector today to outline initiatives to help achieve President Obama’s goal of decreasing the health-care cost growth rate by 1.5 percent, saving $2 trillion or more over the next 10 years.

“The AMA is committed to action to help achieve greater value from our nation's health-care spending. We want to help bend the spending curve and move forward on health reform. Our proposals focus on making sure people get the right care at the right time, addressing appropriateness of care, overutilization of some services and avoidable hospital readmissions.

"The AMA-convened Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement (PCPI), with the efforts of more than 100 state and national medical specialty societies, continues to develop measures to improve health-care quality and value. Efforts to reduce unnecessary utilization include the following PCPI-selected topics for development of overuse measures this year: surgical and non-surgical management of back pain, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic stable coronary artery disease, induction of labor/Caesarean section, antibiotics for sinusitis and various types of diagnostic imaging.

“Other specific efforts include a set of measures to improve care transitions from hospitals to other settings to avoid unnecessary hospital readmissions and a multi-pronged effort to reconcile multiple prescriptions for individual patients being treated by different physicians. This program of medication reconciliation is designed to avoid potential drug interactions and eliminate inappropriate or unnecessary prescriptions.

"Defensive medicine continues to be a major factor in rising costs. We need medical liability reforms that help physicians provide the best care without needing to order additional services to guard against possible lawsuits.

"All Americans can help in the effort to keep health-care costs down. The combination of large-scale national initiatives and efforts by individuals to engage in prevention and wellness efforts is key to reducing spiraling health costs, preventing chronic disease and keeping America healthy."

Read the full letter to the White House.
 

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Boards of Medicine, Osteopathy Seek to Increase Licensure Fees

Both physician licensure boards in West Virginia have recently filed modifications to their licensure fees rules with the Secretary of State.  The Board of Medicine and the Board of Osteopathy are aiming to increase their licensure fees and are seeking public comment.  If approved, the allopathic licensure fees would increase from $300 to $400 bi-annually.  The osteopathic fees would increase from the current $200 to $400 bi-annually.  Additionally, fees for educational permits and corporation and PLLC registrations are being modified.  As required by law when there are changes sought in licensure fees, all physicians licensed in West Virginia received mailings notifying them of these changes from their respective boards this past week.

The Board of Medicine rule is open for written public comment through the close of business on June 26 and the Board of Osteopathy will accept comments on their rule through July 1 at noon.

Neither board has requested or received an increase in their fees for ten years.  Both are attesting to the fact that their cost of doing business has risen and the staffing costs are increasingly straining their budgets.  The Board of Osteopathy is currently seeking a new full time Executive Secretary since their long time executive Cheryl Shreiber is retiring.  They are also moving their office to Charleston in order to be more centrally located among other government entities and expect additional costs from this transition. 

Both boards are under contract with the West Virginia Medical Professionals Health Program to provide confidential monitoring services to licensees with addiction or mental health concerns.  The WVSMA was a key leader in the development of legislation a couple years ago which paved the way to the creation of this critically important service to the physician community.  Half of the increase in the licensure fee that the Board of Medicine is seeking ($25 annually) will be directed to the MPHP.  The Board of Osteopathy is currently considering the amount they will direct to this program.

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Breastfeeding Group and Governor to Recognize Supportive Worksites, Seeks Nominations

SUPPORTING MOMS IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS

West Virginia Breastfeeding Alliance to Recognize Supportive Worksites

Governor Manchin to Announce Winners

The West Virginia Breastfeeding Alliance, (WVBA), plans to recognize worksites that are supportive of mothers in the workplace. The group will honor award recipients in August during World Breastfeeding Month, during a proclamation from Governor Joe Manchin, III. WVBA is seeking nominations of companies that encourage their employees’ choice to breastfeed and that provide the means necessary to help them achieve these goals. 

Many parents are aware of the importance of breastfeeding, but may be unaware that nursing is actually considered good for business. “Workplace support for breastfeeding women can positively impact the bottom line,” stated Keri Kennedy, MPH, Director, WV Office of Healthy Lifestyles. “Among the benefits are lower healthcare costs, enhanced productivity, greater employee satisfaction, increased retention and a positive corporate image”, she added.

West Virginia’s current breastfeeding initiation rate is 59.3%, but drops off significantly within weeks after delivery. By the time babies reach just six-months of age, our breastfeeding rate is only about 26.8% at that stage. The national average is at about a 73.8% initiation rate and a 41.5% rate at six-months of age. The majority of moms list their need to return to work as the number one reason why breastfeeding is not even attempted, or ends up being cut short.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (HRSA), “for every dollar that is invested in support of a breastfeeding employee three dollars are saved.” Also, they add that, “one-day absences to care for sick children occur more than twice as often for mothers of formula-fed infants.”

 “Breastfed babies get sick about 15 times less often than a baby fed artificial baby milk, therefore, parents miss less work to care for their sick children,” said Yvonne K. Snyder, RNC, IBCLC and a Certified Family Nurse Practioner in the Charleston, WV area.  Companies also have fewer claims made against their health insurance because breastfeeding helps to make both moms and babies healthier.

West Virginia’s Breastfeeding Alliance was one of only 10 state coalitions to be awarded a HRSA grant for the Business Case for Breastfeeding, a national initiative to increase workplace support for breastfeeding families. Worksite recognition is one of many activities in this vain to be conducted during this project year, (2009-2010), by WVBA. 

To nominate an exceptionally supportive workplace, nomination forms can be downloaded by visiting www.wvbfa.com. The deadline for nominations is July 6, 2009.

The West Virginia Breastfeeding Alliance was formed in 2008 and welcomes new members to help further their mission. The mission of WVBA is to improve the health of West Virginians by working collaboratively to protect, promote and educate the community about breastfeeding. Additional information and membership applications can be found at www.wvbfa.com. 

Contact:  Christine Compton, WVBA (304)545-1403 ctcompton@verizon.net or Cinny Kittle, MS (304)419-0899 ckittle@wvha.org

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