Greetings from the Capitol!
I hope you had a great week and want to pass along an update of some of the latest news from the Capitol.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
The House Health and Human Services Policy Committee – on which I serve – approved a bill this week to screen newborns for congenital heart defects (CCHD) at the same time babies are tested for dozens of other conditions.
A University of Minnesota physician testified one in every 100 children in our state is born with CCHD. New non-invasive tests would involve placing a sensor across a newborn’s foot and hand to analyze their oxygen level after they are 24 hours old but before being released from the medical facility.
Newborns currently are screened for 54 medical conditions. Hospitals charge $106 for the combined screenings, which may be covered by insurance. As part of Gov. Mark Dayton’s budget proposal, the Health Department is proposing increasing the screening fee to $140 to help cover the department’s CCHD reporting and follow-up costs, plus those associated with screening for Severe Combined Immune Deficiency.
GOOD ECONOMIC NEWS
A supplemental economic report last week showed Minnesota’s state revenue collections continues to surpass previous projections, with $140 million more than expected in January. This is on top of the $2.5 billion in combined surplus revenue shown in the three full reports dating back to November of 2011. We will receive another full report later this month, a key component to shaping our new two-year state budget.
The improvements we made during 2011-12 are working and continue to provide positive economic results. Let’s all hope this trend continues!
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE CONTRACTS APPROVED
The House this week approved five public employee contracts and two compensation plans, covering approximately 35,000 workers. The contracts grant 2-percent pay increases and step increases for eligible employees (approximately half). All contracts include a continuation of employers covering 100 percent of employee health insurance premium and 85 percent of dependent coverage (premiums estimated to increase 9 percent in 2013). The latest numbers from the 7 contracts approved to date – with 11 more contracts to be approved – shows a $249 million increase in the 2014-15 all-funds budget.
Have a good weekend!
Tara