Grassroots Advocacy
Current State Advocacy Concerns
2012
Legislative Update-February 10, 2012
1) One of the motorcycle helmet bills is scheduled for the House Transportation Subcommittee (SB2541 by Bell/HB2661 by Matheny). Our grassroots advocate, Bill Dobbins, has been working with several organizations to get this bill defeated. At this time we believe we have enough votes in the subcommittee to defeat it. We sent out an alert to those members in the House Transportation Subcommittee's counties to ask their legislators to vote NO.
1) Next Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 12:30 pm (Central) the House Health Committee will continue a hearing they held last week regarding the State developing its Health Insurance Exchange (HIE). The HIE is the central part of the Affordable Care Act. Every state is to notify the Secretary of Health and Human Services of its plans to run its own HIE. If a state chooses not to run its own HIE, the federal government will create an HIE and manage it on behalf of the state.
3) This year's Hospital Assessment Fee (SB2766 by Overbey/HB3446 by Harrison) will be heard in the House Health subcommittee and the Senate Health Committee. Passage of this bill is essential for the health care portion of the state's budget. Revenue from this bill will exceed $1.2 billion dollars.
4) Budget hearing have started. This past week the legislative committees heard from the Department of Children Services and the Department of Mental Health.
Click here for the bill summary.
Legislative Update-January 27, 2012
Bills have been filed that fall into the areas of concerns for RHAT's legislative initiatives this year. Below are some particular areas of interest:
• SB2172(Beavers)/HB2218(Shipley) was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee this past week. This bill would ban the possession and sale of "analogue" drugs that are sold primarily in small convenience markets as bath salts or plant food. This bill is unique in that it identifies the chemical properties of the analogue drugs rather than identify the specific chemical compound. It has a fiscal note (cost) with it. It will be reviewed during the budget negotiations.
• Several bills to ban Motorcycle helmets have been filed by Senator Bell and Representative Matheny. The motorcyclists have been working very hard to gather support for this issue. It will be important to let our legislators know why RHAT is against any helmet law repeal.
• Here is a report by the Comptroller's office on their assessment of Coordinated School Health. The report details very positive results of the Coordinated School Health program.
• Here is a report that shows the Food Deserts in rural Tennessee. As you will see, these food deserts are widespread, but particularly bad in rural West Tennessee. Senator Andy Berke and Representative Craig Fitzhugh have a bill from last year (SB1176/HB1385) that provides economic incentives to companies to build grocery stores in designated food desert areas of the state. This bill is currently in limbo.
• Governor Haslam presents his State of the State speech this Monday, January 30th at 6:00 pm Central. It will be carried live in Nashville but you can follow it on the Legislative Website (www.capitol.tn.gov). We have heard a lot of positive talk for several legislators, but nothing specific. Monday night we will know then if Coordinated School Health will be properly funded.
• Bill filing deadline for the Senate was Thursday, January 26th and the House is February 1st. It will take another week for all of the bills to be processed into the tracking system.
Last week, Dr. Randy Wykoff of ETSU College of Public Health spoke to the Senate Health Committee. He referenced the task force Dr. Jack Lacey is directing and its impending report. The report outlines the "3 Stars" that are important to all Tennesseans: 1.) Education; 2.) Economic Development; 3.) Access to Health Care. More information will be forthcoming.
Here is a summary of bills of interest.
January 4, 2012: At this early juncture, we anticipate budget issues to be of prime focus this year.
Read our Letters of Support
Future of Nursing
West TN AHEC Community Health Worker
TN Primary Care Association Community Health Worker Grant
2011
Despite a very difficult economy and some early proposed budget cuts, the Coordinated School Health program was funded in the governor’s budget. However, it is funded as a one-time expenditure. This funding will have to be renewed in next year’s budget.
In the TennCare budget, Governor Haslam included $3.5 million dollars for smoking cessation products. This will be matched with $6.8 million in additional Medicaid funds. This was not in the governor’s original budget.
The Hospital Fee was enacted. This 4.5% fee on for-profit hospitals’ net income will create over $800 million dollars for funding health care services. Some of these services include: no limits on hospital stays; no limits on physician visits; no limits on physician outpatient visits; graduate medical education and restoration of transportation services; and many more services.
An additional $82 million dollars is expected to be refunded to TennCare from the Social Security Administration for overpayments made by Tennessee. These funds will provide additional services similar to the Hospital Fee funding but on a smaller scale.
The Perinatal Grant funds ($2.2 million) were restored in the TennCare budget. This restoration occurred the last week of the session.
All of the Legislative Oversight Committees were abolished. This includes the Select Committee on Children and Youth and the TennCare Oversight Committee. Although several attempts were made to amend this bill to maintain this committees all attempts were defeated.
The Board of Nursing was continued to June 2016, with a reduced number of board members and a reduction in the number of years each board member can serve on the board.
SJR58 encourages the departments of Mental Health and Health to develop a model of integrated health to be expanded in Tennessee.
The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth was extended to June 2016.
Legislative Focus for 2011
Read our Letter supporting West TN Area Health Education Center grant application.
Read our Letter on Physician Assistant Reimbursement
Read our letter supporting TN Primary Care Association grant application
Telemedicine Resolution is signed by Governor on May 13, 2011
RHAT Visits Legislators as part of National Rural Health Association Policy Institute, January 24-26, 2011
L to R: Senator Lamar Alexander, Susan Veale, Cindy Siler, and Senator Bob Corker
Click here to read our message to our federal legislators
2010
Click here to read our Legislative Focus for 2010
Click here to read our final Legislative Bill Watch for 2010.
Read TennCare's report to the TennCare Oversight Committee, April 19, 2010.
Write your Legislators by inputting your zip code in the boxes to the right
National Rural Health Association Works to Renew Rural Medicare Programs. Read the letter.
RHAT Goes to Washington, DC
Several RHAT members attended the National Rural Health Association Policy Institute in January 2010 to speak to our federal legislators on national issues effecting rural areas.
Click here to read our message to our federal legislators.
Photo: (L to R) Bill Moats, Charles Wilkens MD, Ira Chilton, Senator Lamar Alexander,
Susan Veale, Nancy Chilton, Elsie Crawford, Betti Wilson-RHAT President,
Senator Bob Corker
Advocacy concerns for 2009 included
Coordinated School Health
RHAT Supports Coordinated School Health
Coordinated School Health Presentation to the Senate Education Committee, March 3, 2009
RHAT writes letter for Coordinated School Health
Menu Labeling and Nutrition
Fact Sheet on Menu Labeling
RHAT supports healthy food in schools
RHAT Supports TN Menu Labeling initiative
Community Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics
RHAT Supports Health Centers as Key Player in Health Reform
Letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Regarding Proposed Rule Changes to Rural Health Clinics
Environmental Concerns
RHAT writes letter to TVA re Coal Ash
Summary of 2009 Legislative Focus
RHAT Hill Day
On March 4, 2009 RHAT members mingled with their legislative Representatives and Senators at our Legislative Breakfast in downtown Nashville. We then proceeded to our legislators' offices to discuss rural health issues.
Click here to read the message.