Noes: 1 - Representative Black.
Ayes: 7 - Representatives Walker, Duff, Freese, Nass, Huber, Travis and Kreuser.
Noes: 1 - Representative Black.
To committee on Rules.
Scott Walker
Chairperson
Committee on Elections and Constitutional Law
__________________
The committee on Insurance, Securities and Corporate Policy reports and recommends:
Assembly Bill 581
Relating to: coverage of service corporations under the patients compensation fund.
Without recommendation pursuant to s.
227.19 (6) (b) of the Wisconsin Statutes.
To calendar.
Sheryl Albers
Chairperson
Committee on Insurance, Securities and Corporate Policy
__________________
The committee on Urban and Local Affairs reports and recommends:
Assembly Bill 410
Relating to: publication requirements for changes to county budgets.
Passage:
Ayes: 13 - Representatives Urban, F. Lasee, Johnsrud, Goetsch, Dobyns, Lehman, Kelso, Riley, Grobschmidt, Turner, La Fave, Ziegelbauer and Wasserman.
Noes: 0.
To calendar.
Frank Urban
Chairperson
Committee on Urban and Local Affairs
__________________
Referral of Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
Madison
August 1995
To the Honorable the Legislature:
Pursuant to section 153.10(1), Wis. Stat., we are pleased to submit to the Governor and to the Legislature the quarterly Health Care Data Report. This report is based on hospital inpatient discharge data reported to the Office of Health Care Information by all operating general medical-surgical and specialty hospitals in Wisconsin for the third quarter of 1994. It also contains selected ambulatory surgery utilization and charge data from general medical-surgical hospitals and freestanding ambulatory surgery centers in Wisconsin during the same quarter.
This report fulfills the statutory requirement to report "in a manner that permits comparisons among hospitals... the charges for up to 100 health care services or diagnostic-related groups selected by the office."
Sincerely,
josephine W. musser
Commissioner of Insurance
Trudy A. Carlson, Ph.D., Director
Office of Health Care Information
Referred to committee on Health.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
Madison
September 1995
To the Honorable the Legislature:
Pursuant to section 153.10(1), Wis. Stat., we are pleased to submit to the Governor and to the Legislature the quarterly Health Care Data Report. This report is based on hospital inpatient discharge data reported to the Office of Health Care Information by all operating general medical-surgical and specialty hospitals in Wisconsin for the fourth quarter of 1994. It also contains selected ambulatory surgery utilization and charge data from general medical-surgical hospitals and freestanding ambulatory surgery centers in Wisconsin during the same quarter.
This report fulfills the statutory requirement to report "in a manner that permits comparisons among hospitals... the charges for up to 100 health care services or diagnostic-related groups selected by the office."
Sincerely,
josephine W. musser
Commissioner of Insurance
Trudy A. Carlson, Ph.D., Director
Office of Health Care Information
Referred to committee on Health.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Department of Health and Social Services
Madison
October 4, 1995
To the Honorable, the Assembly:
1993 Wisconsin Act 251, Section
19(2)(a)(2), requires the Department of Health and Social Services to submit to the chief clerk of each house of the Legislature a report that sets forth recommendations for a uniform data collection system for emergency medical services. Attached is the Department's report.
A613
Department staff are available if you have any questions or desire additional information.
Sincerely,
Joe Leean
Secretary, DHSS
Referred to committee on Health.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Department of Health and Social Services
Madison
September 30, 1995
To the Honorable, the Assembly:
The attached report is submitted in accordance with s.
49.45(2)(a)21 of the Wis. Stats., which directs the Department of Health and Social Services to report annually on Wisconsin Medicaid recipient access to obstetric and pediatric services. The report outlines the variety of federal and state mandates and initiatives that have been established to encourage increased provision of these important services by physicians and other professions. It also outlines the increased use of medical services by Medicaid eligible children and pregnant women.
As this report indicates, at least 50 percent of the total number of primary care physicians in each of the 12 regions developed for State Plan Amendment report provided pediatric and obstetric serves to Wisconsin Medicaid recipients, in compliance with the federal standards.
Access to pediatric and obstetric care for Medicaid recipients will continue as a focus of Departmental efforts.
Sincerely,
Joe Leean
Secretary, DHSS
Referred to committee on Health.
__________________
Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
October 31, 1995
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
We have completed an evaluation of the Department of Corrections' inmate transportation system. Each month, the Department transports 37 percent of all inmates in its custody, primarily for reassignment from one institution to another and to provide inmates with off-site medical services. We estimate annual costs for vehicles and actual staff time spent transporting inmates are approximately $2.26 million.
The Department has an excellent safety record in transporting inmates, with only one serious escape incident in the last ten years. Nevertheless, as the number of inmates has grown and the State has built more correctional facilities, managing transportation services has become more complex and costly. The Department has taken some actions to increase efficiency by attempting to reduce staff overtime and by partially centralizing transportation services. However, further efficiencies are possible by establishing standard transportation systems for both interfacility and medical transfers. By scheduling trips in advance and following standard routes, we estimate the Department could reduce interfacility trip costs by between 34.1 and 38.0 percent and medical trip costs by between 20.7 and 22.0 percent, while maintaining current safety levels.
In addition to saving through greater efficiency, the Department can also achieve reduced transportation costs by decreasing the demand for trips. We have identified options for the Department to limit the number of referrals for off-site medical care that require transportation. These include expanded screening and prior approval of off-site referrals, expanded use of currently available tele-medicine technology, and careful exploration of privatization options.
A separate, detailed management letter describing our recommendations and options for restructuring the existing transportation system has been delivered to the Department and is available upon request.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by Department of Corrections staff. The Department's response is the appendix.
Sincerely,
dale cattanach
State Auditor
__________________
