AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine well being care organizations and advocacy teams predict that gun violence, following October’s mass taking pictures in Lewiston, will dominate a lot of health-related discussions in the course of the legislative session that started Aug. three. January.
The organizations additionally outlined plenty of different health-related priorities, together with addressing the opioid disaster, enhancing assets for older adults and growing reimbursement charges. Additionally they provided completely different positions on nursing staffing ratios.
The session will finish on April 17, which is a shorter interval to introduce new laws along with payments that had been carried over from final 12 months.
“An important factor within the upcoming legislative session shall be to advocate for smart and efficient gun security laws, and proceed our efforts to cut back the alarming lack of life in Maine because of opioid use dysfunction,” stated the Dr. Paul R. Cain, president of the Maine Medical Affiliation, which represents greater than four,000 physicians, residents and medical college students.
Maine’s worst mass taking pictures occurred final fall when a Bowdoin man killed 18 folks at a Lewiston bowling alley and bar, elevating questions concerning the state’s weak gun legal guidelines and psychological well being providers.
In response, the Maine nurses union stated it helps gun security laws, together with a ban on the sale of assault weapons. MaineHealth, the state’s largest well being system, stated it might assist evidence-based laws to handle gun violence, corresponding to a ready interval.
Along with gun security laws, some teams need to enhance entry to well being care protection.
Each the Maine Medical Affiliation and the Maine Hospital Affiliation stated they assist LD 796, which might deal with insurance coverage corporations that refuse to reimburse for medically crucial care, stated Steven Michaud, president of the Maine Hospital Affiliation.
Michaud stated the Maine Hospital Affiliation additionally helps LD 225, which might require Medicaid to pay for among the care when its sufferers are caught in hospitals whereas awaiting placement in an applicable long-term care or residential care facility.
“These payments are linked,” Michaud stated. “If we offer care, we should always cost for it. “Too typically, that doesn’t occur.”
The Maine Hospital Affiliation opposes LD 1639, which might set up minimal ranges of direct care registered nursing staffing, relying on the unit and affected person wants.
Michaud stated the minimal ratios would price Maine hospitals almost $100 million a 12 months. “We proceed to strongly oppose state management of hospital staffing choices,” she stated.
MaineHealth additionally stated it was involved concerning the laws, which was hotly debated final 12 months and moved to this session.
“This invoice would inhibit nurses’ autonomy in making staffing choices to assist the acuity and mixture of sufferers on their models at any given time,” stated Katie Fullam Harris, director of presidency affairs for MaineHealth.
The Maine State Nurses Affiliation “strongly helps” the invoice, a model of which has been adopted in California.
“Greater than 20 years of knowledge because the implementation of California’s nurse-patient ratio regulation reveals that sufferers are safer when nurse-patient ratios are in place,” MSNA stated in a press release.
MaineHealth helps plenty of payments this session, together with LD 1797, which would offer monetary assist for workforce improvement in rural areas; LD 1407, which he stated would shield suppliers from substantial mid-year contract adjustments; LD 840, which might develop a mixed charge to assist the remedy of individuals with emotional dysregulation dysfunction; and LD 2083, which might deal with treatment administration for behavioral well being sufferers.
Along with gun violence, Fullam Harris stated lawmakers appear all for points associated to youngster protecting providers, which may additionally dominate the session.
He added that “severe gaps” in long-term care and behavioral well being have widespread impacts on hospital sufferers, well being system capacities and the workforce.
Whereas there aren’t many legislative choices left this session to extend funding for these efforts, he stated, “we hope the Legislature will establish alternatives to evaluation these key service areas and develop long-term options to higher meet the wants of our residents.” state. inhabitants.”
The Maine Well being Care Affiliation, which represents about 200 nursing properties and assisted residing amenities throughout the state, stated the “persistent underfunding” of nursing properties and residential care amenities has led to about 50 long-term care facility closures and conversions since 2012.
“The reimbursement price for nursing properties and residential care amenities has been woefully insufficient for many years,” stated Angela Cole Westhoff, president and CEO of the Maine Well being Care Affiliation. With out the emergency funds, the nursing house shortfall in 2022 would have been almost $100 million per 12 months, she stated.
Westhoff added that his group will work with Gov. Janet Mills’ administration to evaluation MaineCare’s fee mannequin for nursing properties and residential care, which is predicted to happen over the following few months.
“Nevertheless, a brand new long-term care fee system alone is not going to be sufficient,” he stated. “The basic have to maintain long-term care is a major monetary funding to assist the price of offering high quality care.”
Jess Maurer, govt director of the Maine Council on Getting older, a community of organizations targeted on points affecting older adults, stated the council is concentrated on securing funding for 2 payments that will enhance workforce and assets for seniors. of Maine.
The primary, LD 1718, goals to draw and retain staff within the direct care workforce by providing a tuition profit, Maurer stated.
“This can be a low-cost, doubtlessly high-value motion, and addresses the numerous and rising care hole in Maine, outlined as those that are entitled to care and assist however will not be receiving the care and assist because of shortages.” labour”.
Second, LD 1684 would offer extra everlasting funding for Regional Businesses on Getting older, which assist Predominant seniors with important challenges connect with assets. Maurer stated he’s seeing an increasing number of seniors fighting homelessness, lack of care and the lack to entry providers like transportation.
The Maine Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Affiliation additionally helps LD 1718, in addition to LD 2125, which might set up a dementia advisory council and require Maine to periodically replace its State Alzheimer’s Plan, and LD 1577, which might require protection of medical insurance for biomarker testing. .
“With respect to Alzheimer’s, continued progress round blood amyloid biomarkers will doubtless result in new Alzheimer’s diagnostic instruments coming to market within the subsequent two years,” stated Jill Carney, the chapter’s public coverage director. “This may have essential implications for rural Maine residents who stay additional away from specialists corresponding to neurologists.”
The Maine Public Well being Affiliation stated its priorities this session are gun violence prevention and security, ending the sale of flavored tobacco merchandise, recognizing Wabanaki self-determination, oversight of hashish for medical use and evidence-based grownup care and shield public well being funding from tobacco. settlement for efforts associated to psychological well being and environmental well being.
“Most of the points which can be more likely to dominate this session are intersectional and relate to different public well being challenges, together with local weather change, consuming water and air high quality, and financial stability, amongst others,” stated Rebecca Boulos, director govt of the Maine Public Well being Affiliation. .
“Taking a preventative and proactive strategy to policymaking will assist all folks in Maine lead wholesome, fulfilling, and financially safe lives.”
This story was initially revealed by The Maine Monitor, a nonprofit, nonpartisan information group. For normal Monitor protection, join a free Monitor publication. right here.
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