MISSOURI: The 96th General Assembly convened

MISSOURI: The 96th General Assembly convened on January 5 and is expected to adjourn on May 30, 2011. With 106 members to the Democrats' 57, the GOP has the largest number of seats it has ever held in the House and is just three members short of being veto-proof.  Given the large Republican majorities in the General Assembly and 70 percent voter support for Proposition C -- an effort to turn back health care reform, the legislature will be under pressure to do nothing to move Missouri closer to enactment of federal health reform.
Significant health care bills filed this session include a resolution calling on the Attorney General to file a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the PPACA, a bill requiring statutory authorization by the General Assembly to implement PPACA, a bill expanding the autism mandate, an MLR bill for large carriers requiring a 90 percent MLR for Missouri-associated revenues and 85 percent for smaller carriers, a bill requiring the state employee health plan to offer a minimum of three high-deductible options with differing annual deductibles and annual out-of-pocket expenses, a bill prohibiting "Most Favored Nation" clauses, legislation creating transparency and publication of carriers' fee schedules and requiring carriers to contract with providers willing to meet certain provider participation terms and conditions, and creation of a uniform group application for insurance.NEBRASKA: The 102nd unicameral legislature has convened in Lincoln where it is expected to spend much of the session grappling with a budget deficit approaching $985 million for the 2011-2013 biennium. Implementation of the PPACA is expected to receive serious attention as well, with six bills relating to implementation or rejection of PPACA introduced to date. Bills of interest include legislation creating an Exchange Task Force, an interim committee for PPACA study, and several bills challenging the individual mandate, prohibition of abortion coverage, and a cochlear implant mandate. In addition, a bill banning discretionary clauses in health and disability income insurance contracts has been introduced.  The legislature began its work on January 6 and is tentatively scheduled to adjourn on May 26, 2011.