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Dec. 15, 2019
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Minutes for HB2180 - Committee on Appropriations

Short Title

Increasing the health maintenance organization privilege fee and extending the medical assistance fee fund.

Minutes Content for Wed, Feb 15, 2017

Chairman Waymaster opened the hearing on the bill.

Scott Abbott, Office of the Revisor of Statutes.presented the bill brief. (Attachment) 1  The bill would increase the privilege fee to 5.77 percent assessed on health maintenance organizations, and eliminates the sunset on the medical assistance fee fund.

Cindy Luxem, Kansas Health Care Association and Kansas Center for Assisted Living, presented testimony as a proponent of the bill (Attachment 2).

Rachel Monger, LeadingAge of Kansas, presented testimony as a proponent of the bill (Attachment 3).

Denise Cyzman, Kansas Association for the Medically Underserved as a proponent of the bill (Attachment 4).

Travis Lowe, Kansas Independent Pharmacy Service Corporation, presented testimony as a proponent of the bill (Attachment 5).

Christie Appelhanz, Children's Alliance, presented testimony as a proponent of the bill (Attachment 6)

Chad Austin, Kansas Hospital Association, presented testimony as a proponent of the bill (Attachment 7)

Ron Hein, Kansas Association of Chain Drug Stores, presented testimony as a proponent of the bill (Attachment 8)

Kristen Powell, Genoa, a Qol Healthcare Company, presented testimony as a proponent of the bill (Attachment 9)

Kyle Kessler, Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas, Inc., presented testimony as a proponent of the bill (Attachment 10).

Bruce Witt, Via Christi Health  in Wichita, Kansas, presented testimony as a proponent of the bill (Attachment 11)

Mike Randol, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, presented testimony in neutral position of the bill (Attachment 12)

Keith Wisdom, Aetna, presented testimony in opposition of the bill (Attachment 13)

Brad Smoot, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas, presented testimony in opposition of the bill (Attachment 14)

Clark Shultz, Kansas Department of Insurance, presented testimony in opposition of the bill (Attachment 15)

Written testimony as proponents of the bill are as follows: Stuart Little, Kansas Association of Addiction Professionals (Attachment16); Walter Hill, High Plains Mental Health Center (Attachment 17) Carolyn Gaughan, Kansas Academy of Family Physicians (Attachment 18); Aaron Dunkel, Kansas Pharmacists Association (Attachment 19); Rachel Colombo, Kansas Medical Society (Attachment 20); William Marting, University of Kansas Health System (Attachment 21) and Ron Hein, HCA, Inc. (Attachment 23).

Written testimony was provided by Melissa Panettiere, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City (Attachment 22).

Discussion followed by committee members and conferees responded to questions regarding a retroactive tax increase, exceptions for companies and the impact on federal matching funds, and the availability of Medicaid beds.  A review of the provider tax rates followed.

Chairman Waymaster closed the hearing on the bill.