Health care commission amendments.

WORKING DRAFT

ORIGINAL SENATE

FILE

NO.
0048

ENROLLED ACT NO. 41, SENATE

FIFTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
WYOMING
2006 BUDGET SESSION

AN ACT relating to the Wyoming health care commission; expanding commission membership, as specified; providing for staggered terms; removing limitation on staff for the commission; amending the commission's duties, as specified; repealing obsolete provisions; authorizing fees for commission reports and data; authorizing commission subcommittees to include noncommission members; amending reporting dates; extending sunset date; requiring a report on reducing private health insurance costs and the number of uninsured; requiring a study and report for redesign of the Medicaid benefit system as specified; providing an appropriation
; authorizing positions;
and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of
Wyoming
:

Section 1.
W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
2801(b) and (c), 9
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2
‑
2802(b) and by creating a new subsection (d), 9
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2
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2803(a)(intro), (d) and by creating a new subsection (f) and 9
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2
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2804 are amended to read:

9
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2
‑
2801.

Health care commission created; membership; salary; meetings; advisory committees.

(b)

The commission shall consist of eleven (11) members appointed by the governor
. In addition, the director of the department of health or the director's designee and the insurance commissioner or the commissioner's designee
shall be ex officio members of the commission
.

(c)

Appointed commission members shall serve
until completion of duties delegated to the commission under this article
three (3) year terms
.
For the eleven (11) appointed members of the commission on July 1, 2006, the governor shall select three (3) members who will serve one (1) year terms, four (4) members who will serve two (2) year terms and four (4) members who will serve three (3) year terms. The governor may reappoint members.
If a vacancy occurs on the commission, the governor shall appoint a new member to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term. The governor may remove members as provided in W.S. 9
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1
‑
202. Commission members who are not state employees shall receive a salary equal to the per diem paid members of the
Wyoming
legislature under W.S. 28
‑
5
‑
101 for each day of actual service and when engaged in necessary travel plus necessary expenses.

9
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2
‑
2802.

Director; appointment; duties; additional staff; qualifications.

(b)

Subject to approval by the commission, the director may employ
one (1)
staff
member
members
to assist the commission in performing its duties.
The staff member
Staff members
shall possess those administrative, technical, professional and clerical qualifications determined necessary by the commission. All staff to the commission shall serve at the pleasure of the director.

(d)

The commission may create subcommittees to work on specific topics. The chairman of the commission, with the approval of the governor, may appoint
Wyoming
residents not members of the commission to serve on any subcommittee and these subcommittee members may, with the approval of the governor, be paid in the same manner as members of the commission.

9
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2
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2803.

Health care commission duties; report; open meetings; attorney general to represent; rulemaking.

(a)

The commission shall develop strategies to improve health care and reduce health care
and medical liability insurance
costs for Wyoming citizens by holding public meetings throughout the state, hearing from experts and other interested parties, studying and researching other states' actions on health care
and medical liability insurance
reform, studying and utilizing Wyoming data
,

and
considering past efforts
, including, but not limited to, the report issued by the Wyoming health reform commission on December 1, 1994,
and future possibilities that can be useful in decision making by addressing
the following:

issues related to health care access, quality and cost.

(d)

Every
two (2)
six (6)
months the commission shall submit a written progress report to the joint labor, health and social services interim committee.
The committee shall create a subcommittee to meet jointly with the commission, as appropriate and subject to the agreement of the chairman of the commission, and prepare legislation necessary to implement commission recommendations.
The
subcommittee
commission
shall submit recommended draft legislation to the joint labor, health and social services interim committee for consideration.

(f)

The commission may maintain a system of health care information and issue reports and disseminate information by other means related to health care access, quality and costs. The commission may assess a fee for reports and the use of its health care information system. Any revenue generated by the fees shall be deposited in the general fund. Reports to and use of the information database by public agencies and political subdivisions of the state shall be free of charge.

9
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2
‑
2804.

Termination of article.

W.S. 9
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2
‑
2801 through 9
‑
2
‑
2803 are repealed effective June 30,
2006
2009
.

Section 2.

W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
2803(a)(i) through (xi), (b) and (c) is repealed.

Section 3.

The commission shall examine additional means for reducing the percentage of
Wyoming
citizens without health insurance and reducing the cost of private health insurance. The commission shall make a preliminary report to the joint labor, health and social services interim committee by November 10, 2006 and a final report by October 1, 2007.

Section 4.

The health care commission shall conduct a study of the redesign of the Medicaid benefit structure as recommended by the final report of the joint legislative executive committee reviewing the health department in response to chapter 182, 2005 Session Laws of Wyoming. The commission shall study benefit changes to improve the cost effectiveness of the Wyoming Medicaid program. The study shall also consider changes to the management and operation of the program if indicated to improve cost effectiveness. The study may consider benefit changes that would require waivers from the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for implementation. The commission shall submit a preliminary report to the joint labor, health and social services interim committee by October 1, 2006 and a final report by October 1, 2008. The final report shall include recommended legislation necessary to implement the conclusions of the report.

Section 5.

Two million ninety-one thousand six hundred sixteen dollars ($2,091,616.00) is appropriated from the general fund to the health care commission
and three (3) positions are authorized
for the operation of the commission and the purposes of this act.

Section 6.

This act is effective July 1, 2006.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.

Chief Clerk

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