Wednesday, August 1, 2001
Ninety-Fifth Regular Session
The Chief Clerk makes the following entries under the above date.
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Read first time and referred:
Senate Bill 226
Relating to: adding one representative of the Wisconsin chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America to the council on veterans programs.
By
Senators
Burke, Moen, Roessler, Decker, Hansen and Darling; cosponsored by Representatives Musser, Suder, Turner, Montgomery, Krawczyk, Gronemus, Hundertmark, Plouff, Ladwig, McCormick, Jeskewitz, La Fave, Townsend, Riley, Lippert, Albers, Ryba, J. Lehman, Vrakas, Starzyk, Underheim, M. Lehman and Wasserman, by request of the Council on Veterans Programs and the Vietnam Veterans of America.
To committee on Health, Utilities, Veterans and Military Affairs.
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The committee on Environmental Resources reports and recommends:
Benzel
, Tracy C.,
of Mercer, as a member of the Examining Board of Professional Geologists, Hydrologists and Soil Scientists, to serve for the term ending July 1, 2005.
Confirmation.
Ayes, 5 - Senators
Baumgart, Hansen, Wirch, Cowles and Schultz.
Noes, 0 - None.
Karnauskas, Robert J.,
of Pewaukee, as a member of the Examining Board of Professional Geologists, Hydrologists and Soil Scientists, to serve for the term ending July 1, 2005.
Confirmation.
Ayes, 5 - Senators
Baumgart, Hansen, Wirch, Cowles and Schultz.
Noes, 0 - None.
Mullally, Dr. Robert R.,
of Onalaska, as a member of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary Area Commission, to serve for the term ending September 25, 2006.
Confirmation.
Ayes, 5 - Senators
Baumgart, Hansen, Wirch, Cowles and Schultz.
Noes, 0 - None.
Onsager, Catherine,
of West Salem, as a member of the Kickapoo Reserve Management Board, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2004.
Confirmation.
Ayes, 5 - Senators
Baumgart, Hansen, Wirch, Cowles and Schultz.
Noes, 0 - None.
Jim Baumgart
Chairperson
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State of Wisconsin
Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
July 24, 2001
The Honorable, The Legislature:
It is my pleasure to forward to you the final report of the Governor's Small Employer Health Insurance Task Force. The task force met five times to review statistical presentations, background information, and research into twelve separate subject areas dealing with small employer health insurance.
Through careful consideration and consensus decision making, the task force has formulated ten recommendations for your consideration. These recommendations are intended to help address some of the problems that small employers have been experiencing as they attempt to provide affordable health insurance coverage for their employees. The recommendations of the task force focused on reducing the Medicare reimbursement inequities, reforming the small group application process, further evaluating the effects of mandated insurance coverage or proposed coverage and increasing education and outreach efforts to small employers.
I wish to thank the task force members, a diverse group that represented the small employer, health care provider, health insurer, and insurance agent industries as well as the legislature. I would like to particularly note the participation of your colleagues Senator Roger Breske and Representative Lorraine Seratti. They provided valuable public policy insights that helped guide the task force's activities.
It is my hope that this report assists you in the future as you continue to deliberate health insurance issues.
Sincerely,
Connie L. O'Connell
Commissioner
Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
July 25, 2001
The Honorable, The Legislature:
(a) The number of health care providers practicing in Wisconsin.
(b) The fees that health care providers pay under s.
655.27 (3), Wis. Stats.
(c) The premiums that health care providers pay for health care liability insurance,
was submitted to the legislature in May 2001. We have revised the report to clarify some of the figures included. The original report included statements regarding both a $100 million and $125 million reduction in fees. The actual amount should be $125 million, which is the actual amount of loss reduction imbedded in the ultimate loss estimates, as a result of the Act 10. This reduction in the ultimate loss estimate translates to a $60.8 million dollar reduction in fees collected under s.
655.27 (3), Wis. Stats., over the last seven years. However, it was further noted that loss experience to date is too immature to validate the reduction. I apologize for any confusion created by the report.
The attached report provides information regarding the background of Act 10, the statistics collected and the analyses performed.
