Greetings from under the Gold Dome!

The 2000 Legislative Session

December 21, 1999

Greetings and Happy Holidays from under the Gold Dome!  We are rapidly approaching the 2000 Session and preparing for the numerous issues to be tracked.  The following report outlines happenings at a few recent events:

          Rep. Henrietta Turnquest held a special meeting on December 8, 1999.  Rep. Turnquest requested certain information on credentialing of healthcare providers and provider contracting from each of the major health plans.  Rep. Turnquest first called on several African American providers from South DeKalb County who described their difficulty in contracting with various HMOs.  Some of the Subcommittee members asked questions of plans about how their minority providers’ numbers compared to the number of minority subscribers.  Kaiser Permanente and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia described the large proportion of minority physicians in their networks.  Ms. Gay Ann Williams, Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Health Plans, also testified and offered assistance to the Subcommittee in collecting information on contracting and minority participation.

           Rep. Vernon Jones chaired the Subcommittee meeting on December 14, 1999.  This Subcommittee heard testimony on HB 1038, a bill introduced at the end of the 1999 Session by Rep. Nan Orrock.  HB 1038 deals with centralized credentialing of healthcare professionals licensed under Chapters 9, 11, 34 or 35 of Title 43, specifically physicians, dentists, and podiatrists.  Other states have already enacted similar legislation according to Rep. Orrock. 

This bill would require healthcare professionals to report information to a centralized national accrediting organization.  Core credential data would be collected on their professional education, professional training, peer references, Drug Enforcement Administration certification, hospital affiliations, their continuing medical education, professional liability insurance, claims, suits, judgments, settlements, Medicare or Medicaid sanctions, etc.  The credentials verification entity would be certified or accredited to collect, verify, maintain, store, and provide such data, and any corrections or updates (which must be reported within 30 days of any changes), for such professionals so that any healthcare entity which employs, contracts with, or allows practitioners to treat patients may use the designated entity to obtain core credentials on the practitioner.   A healthcare entity would not be able to collect or attempt to collect duplicate core credentials data from any practitioner, if that data is on file with a credentials verification entity designated by the practitioner to provide such data.

Several lobbyists testified in favor of HB 1038.  The bill would have no cost to the State and much of the practitioner’s paperwork would be eliminated.  Some groups in favor of the legislation include the Medical Association of Georgia and the Georgia Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

           Rep. Henrietta Turnquest hosted a hearing for personal care home providers on December 15, 1999.  Many personal care home providers are concerned with some of the Department of Human Resources’ Rules and Regulations that each must follow.  Complaints were that the Rules and Regulations were onerous.  In addition, the personal care home providers are concerned about their financial condition.  Such providers do not get any reimbursement under the State’s budget unless such homes are qualified as participants in the Community Care Services Providers Waiver.  The providers are also concerned about a rumor that the Georgia Nursing Home Association and the Georgia Hospital Association would be gathering support for introducing legislation for Medicaid dollars to be used for training of certified nurse assistants in either nursing homes or hospitals.  Personal care home providers feel that, if they too pay taxes into the system, then some of those tax dollars should benefit them as well.

          Sen. Nadine Thomas and Rep. Georganna Sinkfield hosted a long hearing on budget issues.  Sen. Burton and Reps. Channell, Heard, Buckner, Turnquest, Manning, Martin, Orrock and Henson also attended.  Some of the entities which testified included Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies (requesting money for expansions for Medicaid and PeachCare programs as well as more money for reimbursement for dentists), March of Dimes (money for the improvement of infant mortality such as the Folic Acid Program as well as Right From the Start Medicaid), Community Health Workers (provision of money to help train workers as an initiative to help get TANF recipients off welfare), ARC Network (requesting of additional funding to help alleviate those awaiting services on the ‘waiting lists’ that suffer from either mental retardation or developmental disabilities), Statewide Consortium of Technology Resources Centers (requesting $300,000 to assist persons with disabilities with more technological equipment), Georgia Coalition to End Homelessness (requesting additional dollars as no increases had been received from the last four years of $225,000), Georgia Council on Child Abuse (requesting additional dollars to help prevent child abuse by provision of home visitations to those families targeted as those with potential problems), etc. 

The Supplemental Budget will be heard on January 3, 2000 beginning at 1:00 p.m. in the Education Center across from the State Capitol.  Those hearings will continue on January 4-5, 2000.  The General Budget will be discussed on January 18-21, 2000.