PRINTER'S NO. 1894
No. 120 Session of 1989
INTRODUCED BY DORR, MORRIS, ALLEN, TRELLO, D. W. SNYDER,
ROBINSON, SEMMEL, MRKONIC, NAHILL, McVERRY, SCHULER, WILSON,
FLEAGLE, HALUSKA, BURD, DISTLER, BELFANTI, JACKSON, TELEK,
SAURMAN, BARLEY, GEIST, JOHNSON, MAIALE, HOWLETT, LANGTRY,
NOYE, FOX, E. Z. TAYLOR, HAGARTY, JOSEPHS, BUNT, FARGO,
LASHINGER, RITTER, TIGUE AND THOMAS, MAY 31, 1989
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, MAY 31, 1989
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Establishing a joint House and Senate task force to review
2 Medical Assistance fees and payments for inpatient and
3 outpatient care to determine the adequacy of those fees and
4 their effect on the health care delivery system and access to
5 health care.
6 WHEREAS, Access to necessary health care services for low-
7 income Pennsylvanians is the basic public policy goal of the
8 Commonwealth's Medical Assistance program; and
9 WHEREAS, The adequacy of the Medical Assistance fee for
10 outpatient services will influence the availability and quality
11 of outpatient providers and services; and
12 WHEREAS, The adequacy of Medical Assistance outpatient and
13 inpatient payments will affect a hospital's financial viability;
14 and
15 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth has not raised outpatient fees for
16 several years; and
17 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth's Medical Assistance inpatient
1 rates may be less than the amount needed to adequately reimburse
2 an efficiently run hospital for inpatient care; and
3 WHEREAS, Any underpayment by the Medical Assistance program
4 could result in either denial of access to care or in cost-
5 shifting by the provider onto other health care payers;
6 therefore be it
7 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly
8 hereby establish a joint House and Senate task force to review
9 the Medical Assistance payments for inpatient and outpatient
10 care and determine their effect on access to health care, the
11 quality of health care and cost-shifting onto other health care
12 payers; and be it further
13 RESOLVED, That the task force be composed of the majority and
14 minority chairmen of the House of Representatives Health and
15 Welfare Committee or their designees, the majority and minority
16 chairmen of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee or
17 their designees, the majority and minority chairmen of the House
18 of Representatives and the Senate Appropriations Committees or
19 their designees, and a member appointed by the Majority Leader
20 and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and the
21 Senate; and be it further
22 RESOLVED, That the task force make recommendations to the
23 General Assembly and the governor as to any changes that may be
24 required to assure access to outpatient and inpatient health
25 care and prevent cost-shifting of unreimbursed costs onto other
26 payers; and be it further
27 RESOLVED, That the task force report its final
28 recommendations by November 1, 1989.
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