Legislator, Sebastian County attorneys seek lesson on new health care law
by April 7, 2010 4:20 pm 59 views
Rep. Gregg Reep, D-Warren, tells TalkBusiness.net he wants a series of discussions to occur through his interim committee to help the state prepare for the new law’s pending implementation.
When the Arkansas legislature ended its fiscal session in February, the prospect of health care reform was still in question.
“I have been looking for ways for us to get a better briefing on this. … The committee, myself, state agencies and the people need to try to learn as much as we can,” said Reep, who is chairman of the House Public Health Committee, in this report from Talk Business.
By some estimates, the new reforms could impact the state’s budget by as much as $100 to $200 million. A joint public health committee has set an April 20 meeting date at the state capitol, but its agenda is already packed. Still, Reep says he wants to find a way to add a discussion of the new law on to the agenda in order to avoid the costs of holding special meetings on the subject. He envisions an initial report being made by representatives of the Arkansas Department of Human Services, the agency that may oversee the biggest state impact of the new federal law.
Reep may want to bring his committee to Fort Smith on April 19.
The Sebastian County Bar Association is hosting on that day the Arkansas Insurance Department during a Noon to 1 p.m. event at the Fort Smith Holiday Inn Center Center. Scheduled to attend and explain the potential impacts of the law on Arkansans are Jay Bradford, Arkansas Insurance Department Commissioner; Dan Honey, deputy commissioner for the Life and Health Insurance division; and William Lacy, manager of the Property Casualty division.
Coby Logan, president of the Sebastian County Bar Association, said the event is open to the public and should include a Q&A session. Logan also said he is not concerned about protests from those who oppose the new law.
“While it is recognized that there are many people who have very strong feelings about this particular piece of federal legislation, the debate of whether or not this legislation is the right or wrong course of action by the United States federal government, or whether it was right or wrong for the United States congress to pass it and the President of the United States to sign it into law, are not the issues to be considered at the scheduled public presentation by the Arkansas Insurance Department on April 19, 2010,” Logan said in a statement.