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.
Sincerely,
Connie L. O'Connell
Commissioner
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
July 26, 2001
The Honorable, The Senate:
As requested by the joint Legislative Audit Committee, we have completed an evaluation of the Department of Health and Family Services' (DHFS's) prior authorization process for occupational, physical, and speech therapy services provided under the Medical Assistance program. Administrative code states that prior authorization is intended to safeguard against unnecessary or inappropriate care. In 1999, approximately 6,300 individuals received therapy services that required prior authorization; these services cost $11.2 million.
From 1995 through June 2000, the average processing time for therapy prior authorization requests increased by 6.7 percent (1.1 working days), despite a decrease in the number of requests submitted and an increase in the number of staff processing requests. Longer processing times resulted primarily from increases in the percentage of incomplete requests returned to providers. In 1995, 43.9 percent of requests were returned at least once; in 1999, the rate of return was 49.5 percent.
We also examined denial rates for therapy prior authorization requests. We found that since 1997, denial rates have been substantially higher for school-age children than for other age groups. Unlike other age groups, school-age children can obtain services without prior authorization through the School-Based Services program. The Legislature created this program in 1995 to capture Medical Assistance funds for special education services. In 1992, 62 percent of Medical Assistance expenditures for therapy services for school-age children were paid to school-based providers. Community-based therapy providers and some parents believe that the growth of the program has made it difficult to obtain approval for therapy services outside of school and that DHFS staff are inclined to deny community-based services to children receiving school-based services. However, we found that denial rates for community-based therapy were slightly lower for children receiving therapy through the School-Based Services program than they were for children who were not receiving therapy through that program.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by DHFS and the Department of Public Instruction. DHFS's response is the appendix.
Sincerely,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Secretary of State
To the Honorable, the Senate:
Sincerely,
Douglas La follette
Secretary of State
State of Wisconsin
Department of Commerce
July 12, 2001
The Honorable, The Senate:
The enclosed report has been sent to you pursuant to s.
1.11 (2)(j), Stats. This section requires agencies to submit a report to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature, including the number of proposed actions for which the agency conducted an assessment of whether an impact statement was required and the number of impact statements prepared.
This report encompasses the activities of the Wisconsin Department of Commerce for the period from July 1, 2000 to July 1, 2001.
Any questions concerning this report may be directed to Dennis W. Kozich, General Counsel, at 608-266-3203.
Sincerely,
Brenda J. Blanchard
Secretary
State of Wisconsin
Joint Legislative Council
