The Health and Human Services (HHS) budget, which must be passed before the General Assembly can adjourn, faces a couple of hurdles between the House and Senate versions. Since the House and Senate cannot agree on a final version, the budget will be transferred to a conference committee. Conference committees are composed of Senate and House members representing both the majority and minority parties and both sides of the issue in dispute. The 10 members of a conference committee are appointed by the Senate Majority Leader and the Speaker of the House to study the points of disagreement between the chambers in an attempt to reach a compromise. Once an agreement is reached, it is presented to both chambers in a report that contains the compromise version of the bill. The report cannot be amended by either chamber.
Some of the items still up for debate in the HHS budget are of interest to IOS members:
The initial version of the House Health and Human Services budget included the elimination of Medicaid reimbursement for co-payments and co-insurance for the dually eligible. The House amended this provision out of the bill and the Senate did not include these cuts.
IOS understands how cuts in reimbursement could significantly impact access to care for this vulnerable population. While we do not expect to see this issue come up in the current budget cycle, this is likely to be a major issue in the future. IOS will continue to work with the Iowa General Assembly to keep these cuts off the table.
Visit our state and federal advocacy pages to find out what we’re doing to ensure that the voice of oncology in Iowa is heard.
IOS values your input. Help us make a difference in Iowa. Do you know an Iowa General Assembly member? Do you have an issue you want to bring attention to? Please send all questions and comments to sabbott@accc-cancer.org.
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