General Assembly Republicans Announce
Health Care Initiatives
-- Recommendations of Medicaid Revitalization Committee Endorsed for
2008 Session --
-- GOP Leaders Support Measures to Increase Health Care Access in Rural
Areas --
-- Plan Includes Incentives for Private-Practice Primary Care
Physicians to Treat Medicaid Patients --

RICHMOND,— Virginia House of Delegates Speaker William J. Howell
(R-Stafford), Senator Frank M. Ruff (R-Mecklenburg), and Delegates
Phillip A. Hamilton (R-Newport News) and Daniel W. "Danny" Marshall,
III (R-Danville) on Friday announced a package of reform measures to
increase access to quality health care services for uninsured and
low-income Virginians.  The announcement is the latest in a series of
policy initiatives by Republican lawmakers, signaling their legislative
and detailing their policy agenda for the 2008 General Assembly
session.
The proposals are designed to reward healthy behavior, modernize the
Medicaid system, and increase access to high quality medical services
throughout the Commonwealth.  Several components of the health care
plan unveiled by Republican legislators were recommendations from
Virginia's Medicaid Revitalization Committee, a group formed by House
Bill 758, which was sponsored by Delegate Hamilton and approved by the
General Assembly during its 2006 session.
"Since becoming the General Assembly's majority party, Republicans have
repeatedly demonstrated our commitment to improving access to quality
health care for all Virginians," declared Speaker Howell.  "We have
already enacted innovative measures to streamline Medicaid, increase
access through small employer health care pools, encourage the purchase
of long-term care policies, and improve the availability of pre-natal
care.  We've also initiated and successfully passed legislation to
curtail the increasing costs of quality medical care, discouraging
frivolous lawsuits and placing sensible caps on malpractice claims. 
These practical and forward-looking policy initiatives announced today
complement and build upon our extensive record of accomplishment,
working to ensure every Virginian has access to affordable, quality
health care."
"The continued attention being paid to the unique needs of medically
underserved rural Virginia will benefit all Virginians," said Senator
Ruff, who serves on the Senate Education and Health Committee. "The
just completed 2007 Rural Summit focused significant time dealing with
how communities were facing health care challenges in rural areas.  I'm
confident that these legislative initiatives will allow committed
health care professionals located in rural regions with economic
challenges to more efficiently serve their patients."
The plan announced by the Republican lawmakers today included the
following:
Implementing recommendations on Medicaid reforms crafted by the
Medicaid Revitalization Commission.  These reforms, intended to control
costs and streamline the delivery of services, include Enhanced
Benefits Accounts for Medicaid recipients, Electronic Health Benefit
Cards, increased use of electronic health records and the
implementation of a web-based claims submission system.
Increasing access to health care service in underserved areas of the
Commonwealth.  The plan includes provisions to partner with Virginia's
higher education system to increase the number of medical residents
assigned to underserved areas of Virginia, many of which are rural
communities.  In addition, the plan calls for continuing to increase
the number of free clinics and community health centers that serve
low-income and uninsured Virginians.
Decreasing the reliance on Emergency Room facilities by encouraging the
use of primary care physicians.  By offering incentives to primary care
physicians to increase the number of Medicaid patients served and by
providing increased reimbursement rates for hospitals with primary care
physician practices on facility grounds, access will be improved and
the use of costly Emergency Room care reduced.
Republican lawmakers indicated that these proposals will continue to be
honed between now and January, as they anticipate some legislators will
have additional refinements and ideas to be considered during the 2008
Session of the Virginia General Assembly.  However, they expressed the
support of their respective caucuses for the measures detailed at
today's news briefing.
"Health care reform has been an ongoing priority for Virginia
Republicans for many years now," noted Delegate Hamilton, Chairman of
the House Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee.  "Whether it is
has been legislative initiatives in 2006  — Medicaid Reform ( HYPERLINK
"http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=061&typ=bil&val=hb758"
HB 758), the Long-Term Care Partnership (HYPERLINK), or increased
funding in the budget for provider reimbursements, Virginia Republicans
have a proactive, positive and proven record on improving health care
for Virginians throughout the Commonwealth."
"We need to turn over every rock to see how we can provide better
medical services to Virginians while lowering costs to the
Commonwealth, and ultimately, taxpaying citizens," Delegate Marshall
remarked.  "Business does this every day, by providing better products
and services through state of the art technology and better management
practices.  Modernizing and transforming our health care policies as we
are proposing today will better enable Virginia to adapt to advances in
science and technology, ultimately enhancing the delivery of quality
medical care and improving cost efficiency."
"I commend my fellow Republican legislators for continuing to come up
with ways in which core services of government can be delivered more
efficiently," said Senate Majority Leader Walter A. Stosch (R-Henrico).
  "This is an ongoing process that truly has no end. As we approach a
time of budgetary constraint, the need for effectiveness is even more
evident. This approach is far superior to tapping our reserves.