Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tuesday, May 7, 2024
The Big Story: Senate Executive Committee To Consider Hospital Cost Bill Today. Hearing starts at 4 pm. Here’s how you can listen and/or participate. I wonder if the Senate will run this bill on an agenda this week. I wonder whether Carney will sign it. He almost has to, if, for no other reason, to provide cover for BHL. Look for her at the bill signing.
While today’s Senate Agenda is not particularly noteworthy, I still have a question regarding regarding SB 264: It sure looks like this bill makes what has been a temporary utilities fee permanent. If so, why?
Couple of health insurance mandate bills highlight today’s House Agenda. HS1/HB 302 (Bolden) ‘requires all group, blanket, and individual health insurance policies to cover prostate screening for men at risk of prostate cancer.’ HB 274 (K. Williams) ‘requires that all health insurance plans subject to requirements under Delaware law, including Medicaid, provide coverage, at no cost when prescribed to infants, of at least 1 early peanut allergen introduction dietary supplement and at least 1 early egg allergen introduction dietary supplement.’
A relatively light committee schedule today. But there is a heavyweight Senate bill in the House Labor Committee. SB 233 (Walsh) ‘establishes employment protections for certain service employees during changes of ownership’. The bill passed on a straight party line vote in the Senate. Look for a similar result in the House.
SB 194 (S. McBride) is being considered in the House Sunset Committee. The bill ‘allows pharmacists, under protocol approved by the Division of Public Health, to provide HIV pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis treatments.’ Five Rethug senators voted against it. Why do they hate people with AIDS?
The only scheduled Senate Committee is the aforementioned hearing on HS2/HB 350.
Hey, I can only work with whatever raw materials the Honorables provide us. I guarantee that they’ve already provided more raw materials for tomorrow.
Someone who should know told me that the idea for the hospital legislation came from the Administration and Carney is excited (to the extent he can be excited) because it could save the state money on health care costs. Bobby Byrd and the hospitals don’t lose too many fights but things don’t look for them. I don’t see enough Dems in the Senate voting against the bill to kill it, but I don’t have intel on individual Senators’ positions.
I have heard there is some personal animosity driving it too. Regardless of the germination, this is a bad idea and its one of those votes where (assuming it passes) 10-15 years from now the people who voted for it are going to have buyers’ remorse.
The only possible reason they’d have buyers’ remorse is if the hospital orgs’ behavior turns outright petulant. They have all the control. They’re gouging because they have a monopoly and they’re delivering substandard care at that.
So, in all honesty, this is COMPLETELY in the hands of the healthcare orgs for the next steps they make. I’ll never blame progressive, forward-thinking legislators for the hateful, petty actions of profiteering (don’t care that ChristianaCare is “non-profit;” they operate with the same motives…to make bank) hospital orgs that have expressly fought back when other providers have attempted to come in and get some competition going.
Pretty spot-on assessment of the situation. John Kowalko
Carney was quoted in the House release announcing the bill fully supporting it. Not sure where this “will he sign it?” stuff came from, but he’s been publicly on board since it was filed, so Stewball’s comment about the administration being involved in drafting the bill seems to check out.
Call me old fashioned but I think it’s cool to put healthcare and hospital executives’ feet to the fire. Maybe clutching those pearls so tightly is cutting off the oxygen to your brain Rufus.
Did you read the rest of my comment?
We may need a Board Scold, but you’re not it.
I really don’t give a fuck about this as long as they address the cancer drug shortages in Delaware (yes, they are a very serious reality all over the country and yes, in Delaware. I’ve had to get a CAT Scan with no contrast because the cancer center was out of contrast, and I’ve had to wait weeks for cancer test results because the cancer center did not have the chemicals to run the tests, I could go on for hours about what cancer patients in Delaware have been going through, but just know, it’s here and it’s happening.), and as long as my cancer doesn’t come back, and the Legislature gets to decide whether or not I get treatment…in any way…I want absolutely NO interference with my cancer doctor’s orders.
And please don’t “poo poo” my comment unless you’ve faced a horrible cancer diagnosis. It’s easy to say shit when you don’t know shit.
I’m using a different name because fuck you, I don’t want to be known as the commenter with cancer.
No problem. Nor should you be required to do so.
While we generally forbid using one than more pen name, clearly this warrants an exception.
I wish you a complete recovery.
Thank you. Cancer sucks, but it sucks more when you have to worry about whether or not you can get the treatments you need.
To illustrate the nationwide (and apparently worldwide) drug shortages,
https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/12/health/drug-shortage-record-high/index.html
Regarding SB 264… Re: Making a temporary utility fee permanent: the dsic would be included in rate base otherwise. This is in the name of efficiency I suppose. No one likes a rate case (except for lawyers/expert witnesses perhaps). And utilities want your money asap. Anyway, my feeling is eh, they gonna take it eventually anyway.
Few seem to remember that Reagan’s deregulation of healthcare by the states started the inflationary spiral we see continuing to our detriment. Look at history people. This is an industry totally out of control of We The People who pay their bills.
If it weren’t so sad that our state’s monopoly of hopsital’s have some of the highest profits per consumer but some of the lowest payments to their staff, it would be at least a little funny that the head of christianacare went to speak against the bill after giving herself a 24% year over year raise and paying like 50M to settle kickback allegations
Speaking against the bill is part of how she earns the money.
As much as I agree with the criticism of the hospitals, I’m unclear on how allowing the people considered budgetary geniuses by the likes of Val Longhurst is going to fix anything.