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SF0095

Wyoming Bill to Study Medicare Payment Impacts

Last scannedOct 19, 2026, 2:19 AM

In one sentence

This bill required state agencies to study how Medicare payment rates affect health care access and the economy in Wyoming.

What it does

  • Requires the Department of Health to analyze the effect on Wyoming patients of receiving medical care in their home community versus traveling to a distant location.
  • Asks the Wyoming Business Council to compare actual costs and charges paid in Wyoming by Medicare and commercial insurers to similar payments in surrounding states.
  • Directs the Board of Medicine to list areas of medical practice that may be at risk of ending or becoming significantly limited in Wyoming due to out-of-state competition.
  • Requires the Attorney General to consider and report on whether legal action could address Medicare reimbursement issues.
  • Allows the governor to create a steering committee to advise on the issues and help direct the duties imposed by the act.
  • Appropriates $50,000 for consultant services to help research, develop, and present the analyses and reports required by the act.

Who it affects

  • Wyoming residents who receive medical care.
  • Wyoming health care providers and hospitals.
  • State agencies including the Department of Health, Board of Medicine, and Attorney General.
  • The Governor and the Wyoming Business Council.

Limits and unknowns

  • The bill did not pass in the 2018 session, so these requirements were not enacted into law.
  • The bill does not change Medicare payment rates; it only requires a study of the current situation.
  • The final report was due in 2018 or 2019, but the bill's failure means this specific study process did not proceed as written.

Plain language

Terms to know

Medicare reimbursement
The amount of money Medicare pays to health care providers for services.
Cost shift
When one payer, like Medicare, pays less than the cost of care, causing other payers, like private insurance, to pay more.
Morbidity
The state of being ill or the prevalence of disease in a population.

Official record

Sources

Source checked
Official bill pageIntroduced textOfficial digestCurrent bill text

Public statements

Why lawmakers voted

Last checked Aug 6, 5:36 PM

Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker explains that federal Medicare payments cover only a fraction of actual costs, forcing hospitals to shift expenses onto private patients and driving up health insurance premiums. He supports the bill as a study to gather data on these disparities and explore potential legal remedies.

Public statementFloor statement at 1:37:11 Watch the statement

If a lawmaker is not listed, we couldn't find a published reason.

Wyoming roll calls

Recorded votes

5 roll calls

H02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 6-1-0-0-02018-03-02 · House6 yes 1 no
Yes
6
No
1
Absent
0
Excused
0
Conflict
0

Yes 6

Albert P Sommers Jr.H20Bob NicholasR · H08Donald E Burkhart JrH15Lloyd LarsenR · H54Susan S WilsonH07Thomas J WaltersH38

No 1

Andrew W SchwartzH23
S 3rd Reading:Passed 30-0-0-0-02018-02-23 · Senate30 yes 0 no
Yes
30
No
0
Absent
0
Excused
0
Conflict
0

Yes 30

Affie EllisS08Anthony BouchardS06BEBOUT PRESBill LandenR · S27Brian BonerR · S02Bruce Burns Jr.S21Cale CaseR · S25Charles ScottR · S30Chris RothfussD · S09Curtis MeierS03Dan DockstaderR · S16David A KinskeyS22Drew A PerkinsS29Fred A BaldwinS14Fred M EmerichS05Glenn W MonizS10Henry R CoeS18Jeff WasserburgerS23Jim AndersonR · S28John HastertS13Larry HicksR · S11Leland G ChristensenS17Liisa L Anselmi-DaltonS12Michael J Mr. Von FlaternS24Ogden DriskillR · S01Paul R BarnardS15Ray R PetersonS19Stephan PappasR · S07Tara NethercottR · S04Wyatt AgarS20
S02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-02018-02-20 · Senate5 yes 0 no
Yes
5
No
0
Absent
0
Excused
0
Conflict
0

Yes 5

Bruce Burns Jr.S21Dan DockstaderR · S16John HastertS13Landen BOgden DriskillR · S01
S10 - Labor:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-0-0-0-02018-02-16 · Senate5 yes 0 no
Yes
5
No
0
Absent
0
Excused
0
Conflict
0

Yes 5

Anthony BouchardS06Brian BonerR · S02Charles ScottR · S30Fred A BaldwinS14Ray R PetersonS19
S Introduced and Referred to S10 - Labor 29-0-1-0-02018-02-14 · Senate29 yes 0 no
Yes
29
No
0
Absent
0
Excused
1
Conflict
0

Yes 29

Affie EllisS08Anthony BouchardS06BEBOUT PRESBill LandenR · S27Brian BonerR · S02Bruce Burns Jr.S21Cale CaseR · S25Charles ScottR · S30Chris RothfussD · S09Curtis MeierS03Dan DockstaderR · S16David A KinskeyS22Drew A PerkinsS29Fred A BaldwinS14Fred M EmerichS05Glenn W MonizS10Henry R CoeS18Jeff WasserburgerS23Jim AndersonR · S28John HastertS13Larry HicksR · S11Liisa L Anselmi-DaltonS12Michael J Mr. Von FlaternS24Ogden DriskillR · S01Paul R BarnardS15Ray R PetersonS19Stephan PappasR · S07Tara NethercottR · S04Wyatt AgarS20

Excused 1

Leland G ChristensenS17

Official activity

Bill history

  1. H Did Not Consider in CoWHouse
  2. H COWHouse
  3. H Placed on General FileHouse
  4. H02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 6-1-0-0-0House
  5. H10 - Labor:Rerefer to H02 - AppropriationsHouse
  6. H Introduced and Referred to H10 - LaborHouse
  7. H Received for IntroductionHouse
  8. S 3rd Reading:Passed 30-0-0-0-0Senate
  9. S 2nd Reading:PassedSenate
  10. S COW:PassedSenate
  11. S Placed on General FileSenate
  12. S02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0Senate
  13. :Rerefer to S02 - AppropriationsSenate
  14. S10 - Labor:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0Senate
  15. S Introduced and Referred to S10 - Labor 29-0-1-0-0Senate
  16. S Received for IntroductionSenate
  17. Bill Number AssignedLSO

Changes

Amendments

2 stored

SF0095SW001

Adopted Committee of the Whole by Scott

SF0095SS001

Adopted Standing Committee by SLabor