Accessibility menu
State Representative Kathy Lohmer
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4244
For more information contact: House GOP Communications 651-296-5520
HOUSE BRIEFS
E-Mail Update: Health Care Bills
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The Legislature has been intensely busy this week as we aim to meet committee deadlines and pass a series of several bills off the House floor.
On Monday the House unanimously passed my bill, House File 2253, that would allow for out-of-state mental health treatment for Minnesota children who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing and use American Sign Language as their first language.
As it currently stands, children with these special needs often receive expensive in-patient placements because they do not have access to round-the-clock care. By allowing children to receive care in facilities that abide under the Interstate Compact on Mental Health, our Medical Assistance program will save thousands of dollars a day while providing even better care for these children.
The governor has until Monday to either sign or veto this legislation. I am hopeful that he will favor this bipartisan-authored and -supported bill.
Yesterday we debated and passed the Health and Human Services (HHS) omnibus bill. As the name implies, it contains several amendments. With this legislation, we are building on the reforms we started last year in order to provide even better quality health care and services to Minnesotans.
As a member of the HHS Finance and Reform Committees, I have worked with stakeholders, advocates, and state departments to assist in developing this legislation. In effect, our goal is to deliver the right services to the right person at the right time, and in the most effective manner. We also recognize that Minnesota taxpayers, providers, and consumers deserve to know that our state services are efficient, accountable, and valuable.
That being said, our omnibus bill includes models of success for social services and treatment programs; welfare and EBT reform and fraud prevention measures; enhancements to programs that promote quality and improved health care outcomes; and an expansion of Medical Assistance for Employed People with Disabilities, just to name a few. The bill passed with bipartisan support, and it awaits a hearing in the Senate.
As always, it is a pleasure and privilege to serve you in St. Paul. Feel free to contact me at any time.
Have a great weekend,
Kathy
News Items
- Legislative Update (May 24, 2013) - (Posted: May 24 2013 6:53PM)
- Legislative Update (May 17, 2013) - (Posted: May 17 2013 3:13PM)
- Legislative Update (May 10, 2013) - (Posted: May 10 2013 1:50PM)
- Archived News Items
- Subscribe to RSS News Feeds
- Read more about RSS.