Legeslative Agenda | Legislative Archive

Long-Term Care Legislative Update
Friday, August 5, 2005

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Gard Creates Medical Malpractice Reform Taskforce
Assembly Speaker John Gard (R-Peshtigo) is creating a 10-member task force to examine the Supreme Court decision that found non-economic damages unconstitutional. A decision that leaves physicians and hospitals facing the same predicament long-term care providers are in today. Representative Curt Gielow (R-Mequon) will lead the task force. Joining Representative Gielow will be; Assembly Majority Leader Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem), Representative Ann Nischke (R-Waukesha), Representative Jason Fields (D-Milwaukee) and Representative Bob Ziegelbauer (D-Manitowoc). Five public members will also serve on the task force, which will be appointed in the coming days. The broad coalition of providers, advocates and counties seeking legislative relief from premium increases of 50-100% per year are requesting that Speaker Gard appoint at least one representative of the long-term care coalition to serve on the taskforce.

Governor Doyle to Create Taskforce on Long-Term Care Liability Insurance Issue
The office of the Governor is in the process of creating a taskforce to study and provide recommendations on the liability insurance crisis facing Wisconsin’s long-term care providers. The push for a Governor’s taskforce can be looked at both positively and negatively. Although the taskforce will bring the issue to the forefront, it is likely that the Wisconsin Academy of Trial Attorneys (who opposes liability caps and who lobbied the Governor to create the taskforce) wants the taskforce created to delay or derail the momentum the issue seems to be gaining with lawmakers, providers, advocates and local government. At stake is whether liability caps on non-economic damages for long-term care providers should be instituted and what other options to deal with the situation exist. It is not expected that the taskforce will be created until September, which may be required to provide recommendations before the end of this year. As more information is made available, members will be kept apprised.

Governor’s Budget Veto of Medicaid Funding Could Face Possible Override Vote
Members of the legislature and Medicaid providers are seriously considering a legislative vote in September to override Governor Doyle’s veto of funding cuts to Medicaid. Last week Governor Doyle provided vetoes that cut $227 million (all funds) for low-income seniors and disabled healthcare programs. As a result, Wisconsin’s Medicaid program is facing a $60-million deficit in the 2005-07 biennium. Wisconsin Assembly Speaker John Gard (R-Peshtigo) stated in his weekly The Speaker’s Report: “I fully expect the Assembly will attempt to reverse this misguided veto. However, it will be a tremendous mountain to climb. It will take 66 votes to override the governor.” To override a veto in the Assembly will require 2\3 majority vote, which means that 6 of the 39 Democrats will need to vote to override. If the Assembly were successful in a veto override, the Senate would need 3 Democrat Senators to vote to override the Governor’s veto.

Legislative Hearing Notices

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