Washington Update
Week ending 5/11/2012
Robert MtJoy Honored with National Elizabeth K. Cooke Advocacy "MVP Award"
The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) recently honored Robert MtJoy, CEO of Cornerstone Care, Inc.with the Elizabeth K. Cooke Advocacy MVP Award. The recognition honors the dedication and energetic efforts by advocates to generate public and political support for the strength and expansion of America's Health Centers. Mr. MtJoy was presented this Award at the 37th Annual NACHC Policy and Issues Forum in Washington, D.C., an event attended by more than 2,000 health center leaders from around the country. "Robert MtJoy has been a passionate advocate on behalf of health centers and the movement would not be what it is today without his dedication, skilled leadership and tireless energy," said Tom Van Coverden, President and CEO of NACHC. "Robert has been on Capitol Hill many times carrying the health center message, and rallying public support and funding in his home state of Pennsylvania. We're deeply appreciative of Robert's commitment, hard work and leadership in advocacy." PACHC President and CEO, Cheri Rinehart said, "Bob has been a devoted leader for 20 years in advocating for Cornerstone Care, and Community Health Centers
Week ending 5/4/2012
House Energy & Commerce Reconciliation Proposal Targets Health Spending
The NACHC Health Centers on the Hill blog reports that several House committees, including Energy and Commerce, have now considered and passed recommendations to further reduce federal spending over the next decade to avoid the cuts by sequestration slated for January 2013. The Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over many health programs including health centers and Medicaid, was instructed to find approximately $97 billion in savings from programs within its jurisdiction. The committee identified $113.4 billion in deficit reduction over the next ten years, with all of the savings coming from health accounts. Areas identified for savings in the package approved by the committee include:
The next step in the process is for the Budget Committee to introduce a combined reconciliation bill for consideration by the full chamber. However, Senate Democrats have signaled they will not be pursuing reconciliation, leaving many to speculate that the fate of the sequester will be left to the lame-duck session after the election, along with many other issues.
- Repeal of the Prevention and Public Health Fund, rescinding unobligated funds.
- Repeal of state insurance exchange authority, striking direct appropriations for grants to states to facilitate exchanges and rescinding unobligated funds.
- Defunding of the"Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan" (CO-OP)program, rescinding unobligated funds.
- Repeal of the Medicaid Maintenance of Effort (MOE) requirement on states, allowing states flexibility to lower their eligibility standards for Medicaid and CHIP.
- Repeal of bonus payments for states for increasing their Medicaid enrollment.
- Implementation of medical liability reform, limiting medical malpractice litigation in state and federal courts.
Week ending 4/27/2012
This Week Marks Deadline for Committee Budget Reconciliation Proposals
The NACHC Health Centers on the Hill blog provides updates on the House and Senate budget process, noting that Friday, April 27 is the deadline for committees, including Energy and Commerce, to submit their reconciliation proposals to the Budget Committee for saving billions of dollars over the next decade and replacing the sequestration mandated by the Budget Control Act. Energy and Commerce met this week to mark up and consider a number of proposals slated to save a total of $97 billion over ten years. A number of proposals with full legislative text have been posted to the committee's website, including some that have already been passed by committee and will impact Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Health center funding is not included in these budget reduction proposals.
Harrisburg Update
Week ending 5/11/2012
Pennsylvania House Vacancies Filled
On Tuesday, six new members of the House of Representatives that won special elections last month were sworn in. They are Representative Madeleine Dean (D-Montgomery), Representative Harold James (D-Philadelphia), Representative Ryan Mackenzie (R-Lehigh), Representative Ed Neilson (D-Philadelphia), Representative Martin Schmotzer (D-Allegheny) and Representative Gary Williams (D-Philadelphia). Please welcome them to office if one of these newly elected officials represent your center. Also this week, Speaker Sam Smith (R-Punxsutawney) announced that he will not order a special election for the seat vacated by former Representative Bill DeWeese (D-Greene County). After consulting with county offices in this House district, the decision was made to forego a special election for this seat until the November General Election. The reason for the decision is the significant cost to implement and oversee an election in the three counties of this House district and, due to the timing of the vacancy and the timeline necessary to hold a special election and swear a member in, it is unlikely that this district would have a Representative prior to passage of the budget by June. This decision is permitted when a vacancy occurs within seven months of the end of a legislative session.
Senate Advances Budget Bill
On Wednesday, the full Senate voted on a budget bill (SB 1466) with bi-partisan support. This $27.65 billion budget proposal (an increase of 1.8 percent over the current fiscal year) will now be put before the House of Representatives for consideration. The proposal primarily restores $500 million in funding in areas of higher and basic education as well as county human services. The Senate indicated that it is still considering both block grant proposals made by Governor Corbett for human services and education. Both the Administration and the House have publicly stated that the $27.65 billion proposal will be a "ceiling" for budget negotiations moving forward and have bi-partisan agreement that there will be no tax increases in the final product. A line item breakdown of the proposal is available online.
Week ending 5/4/2012
Supreme Court Ruling on Tax Exempt Status Could Have Broad Impact
The Pittsburgh Post reports on a decision handed down last week by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court over whether a Brooklyn-based, Orthodox Jewish school's camp should be tax exempt and its implications for other nonprofit organizations. The court ruled that, although the camp is owned by a religious organization, most of its property is taxable because it did not meet all of the criteria of Pennsylvania's Institutions of Purely Public Charity law. The article quotes some experts as anticipating that the ruling will open doors to many tax exempt challenges, particularly with so many municipalities and schools facing financial challenges. Senate leaders had filed a bipartisan amicus brief in support of the Jewish camp last year and the Senate is now considering whether they need to enact clarifying language to prevent widespread challenges. The Supreme Court affirmed a Commonwealth Court ruling with a narrow 4-3 decision and in the process, overturned what many experts accepted as the legal standard for the past 15 years in determining what organizations qualified as purely public charities. Two health center sites in Pennsylvania are in the midst of challenges to their tax exempt status.
PACHC "Day on the Hill" a Success
PACHC's annual legislative advocacy program in the capitol was extremely successful this year, thanks to our participants. We enjoyed the support of 14 Community Health Centers
this year hosting over 35 legislative meetings with their elected officials. The success of our members' accomplishments led to very positive conversations across the board in the state legislature and sparked interest among key lawmakers as they enter budget negotiations. PACHC staff will follow up with these legislative offices and continue the momentum that was started this week. We also want to thank the seven centers that were "Health Fair on the Hill" exhibitors in the capitol as they shared their story and services with legislators and staff throughout the day. PACHC extends a special thank you to Cornerstone Care
ACLU Takes Aim at Pennsylvania's New Voter ID Bill
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Pennsylvania and other voting and civil rights groups have filed a lawsuit in Commonwealth Court aimed at overturning the commonwealth's new voter identification law as well as seeking an injunction to prevent it from going into effect. The suit alleges that the law, which requires voters to show eligible photo ID each time they vote, deprives Pennsylvania citizens the right to vote and therefore violates the state constitution. The law also requires absentee ballot voters to provide their drivers license number or last four digits of their Social Security number. The suit says the law "irrationally distinguishes" between in-person and absentee voters, because absentee voters don't need to show ID to vote, but only provide the last four digits of their Social Security number.
Week ending 4/27/2012
DeWeese Sentenced on Corruption Charges
Former longtime House Democratic leader Bill DeWeese was sentenced this week to 2 ½ to 5 years in prison on corruption charges. The judge in the sentencing also ordered DeWeese to pay a $25,000 fine and another $117,000 in restitution. The sentencing came after DeWeese resigned from the House earlier in the day. The state constitution bars felons from serving in the Legislature, but that ban is not triggered until a sentence is imposed. The conviction, according to some estimates, will also result in a loss of approximately $2.8 million in pension benefits.
