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Healthcare

March 15, 2013

Letter to Governor McDonnell on Medicaid Reform

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2013 Legislative Session Outcome Overview on Healthcare

Priority:

• Protect employers and their employees from any negative impact federal healthcare reform legislation may create as state-level policy and regulations are developed.  

 Dulles Regional Chamber's efforts in the healthcare arena focused on expressing support for the extension and reform Medicaid in Virginia. The House and Senate budgets included very different approaches to this, both which were problematic in that they proposed reform prior to acceptance of the resources associated with the extension of Medicaid. Dulles Regional Chamber strongly advocated that reform and extension happen concurrently so that the resources required for the desired reforms are available to enable implementation of them. The outcome included amendments to the state budget, including language directing simultaneous pursuit of Medicaid reform and expansion. Specifically, the compromise includes the following:

• Directs Secretary of Health and Human Resources Bill Hazel and the Department  of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to develop a “comprehensive value-driven, market-based reform of the Virginia Medicaid/FAMIS programs” in three phases;
• Authorizes DMAS to pursue the waivers and plans necessary to implement the optional coverage expansion; and
• Establishes the Medicaid Innovation and Reform Commission (with ten legislative members, five each from the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committee) whose approval would be required to implement the expansion.

 

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2013 Policy Position

The Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce (DRCC) recognizes the importance of the healthcare industry to the economy and the community, and supports federal and state reimbursement levels that do not harm providers or result in a shift of the payment burden to the private sector.

DRCC is extremely concerned with the impact of federal healthcare reform legislation on the business community and urges careful consideration of the impact of any policy change or development of regulations in this arena. DRCC specifically supports legislation that ensures access to affordable and stable group health insurance for all businesses, including sole proprietors and small businesses. DRCC supports legislation that reduces state burdens and provides tax incentives to help small businesses offset the staggering increases in health insurance costs, including incentives that encourage participation in “consumer-driven” healthcare and wellness plans. We support initiatives that improve quality and lower costs, encourage fair regulation of the insurance market, build a robust healthcare marketplace for consumers, expand the use of healthcare IT, create an emphasis on prevention and wellness, and promote pay-for-performance.

 DRCC supports collaborative efforts between healthcare stakeholders, including providers, purchasers, insurers and consumers, to ensure continued innovation, creativity, and transformation in the healthcare marketplace. The goals of these efforts should include the following: 

• Expansion of healthcare infrastructure (both inpatient and outpatient) to meet community needs;
• Increase in the supply of well-trained medical personnel;
• Effective management of healthcare costs impacting businesses;
• Promotion of workplace and community wellness initiatives;
• Increased accessibility of healthcare and insurance;
• Enhanced quality, choice, unbiased data transparency, and diminished redundancies and waste
  in healthcare; and
• Appropriate planning for emergency preparedness and public-private partnerships to address
  pandemic preparedness.

 

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2012 Policy Position

The Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce (DRCC) recognizes the importance of the healthcare industry to the economy and the community, and supports federal and state reimbursement levels that do not harm providers or result in a shift of the payment burden to the private sector. DRCC supports the continued introduction and expansion of healthcare facilities throughout Northern Virginia to increase the availability of quality healthcare services for business owners, employees and their families. 

DRCC supports collaborative efforts between healthcare stakeholders, including providers, purchasers, insurers and consumers, to ensure continued innovation and creativity in the private marketplace. The goals of these efforts should include the following: 

• Expand healthcare infrastructure (both inpatient and outpatient);
• Manage healthcare costs impacting businesses;
• Increase accessibility of healthcare and insurance;
• Diminish complexity in healthcare;
• Enhance choice and transparency;
• Plan appropriately for emergency preparedness and foster public-private partnerships to address pandemic preparedness; and
• Expand services offered by safety net healthcare providers, such as the Loudoun Community Health Center and Loudoun Free Clinic, so all Loudoun’s residents have access to healthcare.

DRCC is extremely concerned with the impact of federal healthcare reform legislation on the business community.  Looking forward, DRCC urges careful consideration of the impact of any policy change or development of regulations in this arena on the business community.  DRCC specifically supports Virginia’s choice to work toward the creation of a state-controlled Health Benefits Exchange, as required by the federal healthcare reform legislation. We support initiatives that improve quality and lower costs, encourage fair regulation of the insurance market, build a robust healthcare marketplace for consumers, provide expansion of coverage for the uninsured, expand the use of healthcare IT, create an emphasis on prevention and wellness, and promote pay-for-performance. 

DRCC specifically supports legislation that ensures access to group health insurance for all businesses, including sole proprietors and businesses with few employees. DRCC supports legislation that reduces state burdens and provides tax incentives to help small businesses offset the staggering increases in health insurance costs, including incentives that encourage participation in “consumer-driven” healthcare plans. These plans not only can increase the number of catastrophically insured, but also put the individual end-users back in control of economic decisions between themselves and their service providers. 

DRCC opposes any legislation that threatens consumer access to healthcare coverage or contributes to increased health insurance costs for employers and their employees. In our community, DRCC supports exploration of opportunities to provide affordable healthcare to members of the business community, including those without health insurance, through local Health Departments, Free Clinics and Community Health Centers, as well as any other health-related service provider and/or clinic that the market will bear. 

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2011 Policy Position

The Chamber supports collaborative efforts between healthcare stakeholders, including providers, purchasers, insurers and consumers, to ensure continued innovation and creativity in the private marketplace. The goals of these efforts should include the following:

• Expand healthcare infrastructure (both inpatient and outpatient);
• Manage healthcare costs impacting businesses;
• Increase accessibility of healthcare and insurance;
• Diminish complexity in healthcare;
• Enhance choice;
• Plan appropriately for emergency preparedness and foster public-private partnerships to address pandemic preparedness; and
• Expand services offered by safety net healthcare providers, such as the Herndon Free Clinic, so all residents have access to healthcare.
• Address medical malpractice reform;
• Grant portability of healthcare insurance across state lines;
• Endorse cooperative pooling of insurance options for business to enhance affordability.

On the federal level, the Chamber agrees that healthcare reform is needed; however, urges careful consideration of the impact of any policy change in this arena on the business community.  We support initiatives to improve quality and lower costs, fair regulation of the insurance market, efforts to build a robust marketplace for consumers, expansion of coverage for the uninsured, healthcare IT, an emphasis on prevention and wellness, and pay-for-performance.

The Chamber specifically supports legislation that ensures access to group health insurance for all businesses, including sole proprietors and businesses with few employees. The Chamber supports legislation that reduces state burdens and provides tax incentives to help small businesses offset the staggering increases in health insurance costs, including incentives that encourage participation in “consumer-driven” healthcare plans.  These plans not only can increase the number of catastrophically insured, but also put the individual end-users back in control of economic decisions between themselves and their service providers.

The Chamber opposes any legislation that threatens consumer access to healthcare coverage or contributes to increased health insurance costs for employers and their employees.

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2010 Policy Position

The Chamber supports collaborative efforts between healthcare stakeholders, including providers, purchasers, insurers and consumers, to ensure continued innovation and creativity in the private marketplace. The goals of these efforts should include the following:

• Expand healthcare infrastructure (both inpatient and outpatient);
• Manage healthcare costs impacting businesses;
• Increase accessibility of healthcare and insurance;
• Diminish complexity in healthcare;
• Enhance choice;
• Plan appropriately for emergency preparedness and foster public-private partnerships to address pandemic preparedness; and
• Expand services offered by safety net healthcare providers, such as the Herndon Free Clinic, so all residents have access to healthcare.
• Address medical malpractice reform;
• Grant portability of healthcare insurance across state lines;
• Endorse cooperative pooling of insurance options for business to enhance affordability.

On the federal level, the Chamber agrees that healthcare reform is needed; however, urges careful consideration of the impact of any policy change in this arena on the business community. We support initiatives to improve quality and lower costs, fair regulation of the insurance market, efforts to build a robust marketplace for consumers, expansion of coverage for the uninsured, healthcare IT, an emphasis on prevention and wellness, and pay-for-performance.

The Chamber specifically supports legislation that ensures access to group health insurance for all businesses, including sole proprietors and businesses with few employees. The Chamber supports legislation that reduces state burdens and provides tax incentives to help small businesses offset the staggering increases in health insurance costs, including incentives that encourage participation in “consumer-driven” healthcare plans. These plans not only can increase the number of catastrophically insured, but also put the individual end-users back in control of economic decisions between themselves and their service providers.

The Chamber opposes any legislation that threatens consumer access to healthcare coverage or contributes to increased health insurance costs for employers and their employees.

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