APPENDIX B

Vermont Legislative Council

115 State Street ·  Montpelier, VT 05633-5301 ·  (802) 828-2231 · Fax:  (802) 828-2424

Memorandum

To:                      Representative Steve Maier, Co-Chair, Commission on Health Care Reform

                           Jim Hester, Director, Commission on Health Care Reform

From:                  Jennifer Carbee

Date:                   May 16, 2008

Subject:                Responsibilities of the Commission on Health Care Reform

The Commission on Health Care Reform is charged with the following:

From H.887, An Act Relating to Health Care Reform:

• Sec. 2 – Building Block Studies

The Commission should conduct studies to develop building blocks for health care reform, including:

• Feasibility of community-based payment reform and integration of care,
• Possibility of merging fragmented risk pools, and
• Exploring health care financing options.

       These studies should identify federal and other barriers to progress in health care reform and determine how to position Vermont as first in line for federal health care reform

• Report due:  None specified

• Sec. 5 – Reduction in Catamount Health/VHAP Waiting Period

Upon receipt of approval from federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services of amendment to waiver to reduce Catamount Health and VHAP waiting period from 12 months to six months, the Secretary of Administration has 60 days to make a recommendation to the Commission on whether to proceed with reducing the waiting period.  The Commission must then consider:

• The availability of resources,
• Issues surrounding implementation, and
• Potential benefits to the health care system.

       The Commission must recommend to the Senate Committees on Health and Welfare and on Appropriations and to the House Committees on Health Care and on Appropriations whether to proceed with the waiting period reduction.

• Report due:  None specified; timing of recommendation may be dictated by whether General Assembly is in session

• Sec.  25 – E-Prescribing Study

The Commission director and VITL project review committee are directed to conduct a planning and feasibility study for a statewide e-prescriber program.

• Report due:  Commission director to report the group’s findings to the commission, the House Committee on Health Care, and the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare by January 15, 2009

From 2 V.S.A. § 903(b):

· Requires the Commission, no earlier than October 1, 2009, to evaluate the Catamount Health market to determine whether it is a cost-effective method of providing health care coverage to uninsured Vermonters, taking into consideration the rates and forms approved by BISHCA, the costs of administration and reserves, the amount of Catamount Health assistance to be provided to individuals, whether the Catamount Health assistance is sufficient to make Catamount Health affordable to those individuals, and the number of individuals for whom assistance is available given the appropriated amount. Prior to making its determination, the commission shall consider the recommendations of a health care and health insurance consultant selected jointly by the commission and the secretary of administration.

• Report due:  None specified; Agency of Administration to issue RFP for Catamount Health administration in event that the market is found not to be cost-effective

From 2 V.S.A. § 902(a):

• From 2005 legislative interim through July 1, 2011, the Commission is required to:
• Monitor the development, implementation, and ongoing operation of health care reform initiatives as defined in 3 V.S.A. § 2222a and the initiatives in Act 191 of the 2006 session;
• Study areas of health care reform as required by the General Assembly; and
• Receive input and make recommendations to the General Assembly regarding the long-term development of policies and programs designed to ensure that, by 2009, Vermont has an integrated system of care that provides all Vermonters access to affordable, high quality health care that is financed in a fair and equitable manner.
• Report due:  None specified

The Commission is designated as the recipient of a number of reports but is not required to take any additional action other than as described above.