Wyoming Legislature | State budget woes a major factor in planning

Members of the Wyoming Legislature’s Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee rolled up their sleeves for a two-day work meeting held in Lovell on Thursday and Friday. During the meeting members discussed major issues affecting the state.Rep. Elaine Harvey (R-Lovell) co-chairs the committee with Sen. Charles Scott (R-Casper). Numerous officials and experts from throughout the state testified before the committee regarding issues related to health care, welfare programs, nursing homes, EMS licensure, mental health and substance abuse program funding and recent cuts to the State Department of Health budgets.[caption id="attachment_11605" align="alignright" width="285"] North Big Horn Hospital CEO Rick Schroeder (above) testifies before the Wyoming Legislature’s Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee meeting at the Lovell Community Center on Friday.
Patti Carpenter photo[/caption]The committee studied various proposals presented at the meeting and will determine which will go forward in the legislature during its upcoming general session, which begins on January 10, 2017. For the most part, ideas that would reduce costs or that were without cost were more well-received than those that might tap the state’s declining revenues further.Wyoming Dept. of Health Director Tom Forslund gave a detailed overview of the massive cuts that are being recommended by the department in light of anticipated declines in the state’s oil and gas revenues, noting that he has already been forewarned by Gov. Matt Mead that even more cuts may be necessary in the future.Forslund noted that since most of the money spent on health related programs (89 percent) is in five areas – Medicaid, Mental Health/Substance Abuse, Preschool Services, the State Hospital and the Life Resource Center – these programs will experience the highest reduction in actual dollars compared to other programs.“The bulk of the cuts ended up in these areas because that’s where the money is,” said Forslund.The estimate of budget reductions for the state’s general fund for the Medicare program is highest at $56,260,433. Mental health and substance abuse programs will see a reduction of $12,208,276, preschool services $6,700,000, the State Hospital $2,180,858 and Life Resource Center $2,002,000. Many of these programs will also lose “matching” funds from other sources like the federal government.Some programs that are operating on smaller budgets will see higher percentage reductions like the state’s substance abuse prevention program, which will see its funding from the State’s general fund reduced by 30.59 percent or $2,148,027. The rural health program will see a 45.93 percent reduction in funds of $1,571,323 and the chronic disease program that will see a reduction of 28.76 percent or $229,431. The State funding for an elder’s rights ombudsman will be cut roughly in half and the State’s oral health program will be eliminated altogether.Welfare versus workOn Thursday morning the committee heard a presentation by the Wyoming Dept. of Family Services regarding welfare programs that discourage or encourage participants to strive toward self-sufficiency.Researchers from DFS presented information that revealed a situation for welfare recipients that discouraged getting off the dole and becoming self-sufficient through work. The researchers noted that, more often than not, recipients found that they were unable to pay their bills when they went to work due to loss of benefits like food subsidies, child care and subsidized housing. The researchers found that, when welfare recipients calculated the benefits of working compared to receiving public assistance, they were “dissuaded” from working. It was noted that a five-year time period before attaining self-sufficiency was not uncommon for those recipients entering the work force.The discussion was lengthy, and many options were discussed like extending the amount of time individuals can continue to receive benefits when first starting to work and training programs that would place recipients in jobs that paid high enough to provide an incentive to get off of welfare. The department didn’t make any particular recommendations that would rectify the problems that were addressed. Unfortunately, most of the ideas presented would require spending now on programs that would lead to less dependency on programs by recipients in the future.Other mattersForslund presented information regarding the number of uninsured individuals in Wyoming. He said 13.4 percent of the population remains uninsured. He said, in light of the current financial situation, he could offer no solution to the problem. He also noted that premiums are in the 97th percentile, which are among the highest in the country.On Friday, North Big Horn Hospital CEO Rick Schroeder gave an overview of how the New Horizons Care Center is structured in a way that allows spouses to stay together. Representatives from the State Dept. of Health outlined rules and regulations that prevent spouses from living together in most facilities in the state and potential changes to licensing that could help alleviate the problem.North Big Horn Hospital Ambulance Director Scott Murphey and Eric Boley of the Wyoming Hospital Association recommended legislation that, if introduced, could provide licensure compacts with neighboring states that would recognize the credentials of emergency medical staff. Similar compacts in the nursing profession have been very successful in the past.A working group consisting of Representatives Baldwin, Schwartz and Wilson presented information about how reductions in reimbursements to mental health and substance abuse centers are putting many of these programs in danger of having to close their doors. The committee also heard some testimony from providers of these services struggling financially as a result of the reductions.A lengthy discussion regarding the high cost of the state’s Title 25 program (involuntary holds) ensued, with many committee members expressing their concern regarding the high cost of the program, especially Sen. Ray Peterson of Cowley. The Title 25 program allows law enforcement to impose an involuntary hold on individuals who they deem may be a threat to themselves or others.Peterson expressed that he thought law enforcement exercised this right too freely and that the average cost of about $600 per day to hold these individuals was excessive. He questioned if less expensive outpatient therapy could be just as effective.

By Patti Carpenter