JUNE INTERIM UPDATE
July 15, 2010
Dear Constituents:
Let me begin this monthly interim update by thanking you again for all of your support and for contacting me with your comments and questions.
In this update I want to provide highlights from the Health Systems Reform Task Force, an update of the state budget, and some additional happenings & committees that I have been asked to serve on.
FISCAL HIGHLIGHTS & INTERIM HIGHLIGHTS
I want to remind you that you can get a more robust highlight of all the interim committee meetings and fiscal news through the legislative website:
The most recent newsletters are posted on the home page of the legislative website at www.le.utah.gov.
The previous months' highlights can be found at the following links:
Fiscal Highlights: Click to view.
Interim Highlights: Click to view.
HEALTH SYSTEMS REFORM TASK FORCE
All Payer Database The Task
Force received a briefing by the Department of Health on the implementation of Utah's All Payer Database (APD). The All Payer Database is an exciting element of Utah's health care reform effort as it captures previously unobtainable data to use for an understanding of health care utilization and costs in the state of Utah. For example, the Department presented a report of the cost of episodes of care for those with diabetes. The All Payer Database includes data from hospitals, insurers and other health care stakeholders.
A critical next step will be integrating the collected data into Utah's Health Exchange so consumers (i.e., patients, insured, etc...) will be able to use the data to make more informed health care decisions. The data is great from a policy-making perspective as it will assist legislators and others to set policy to address lowering cost of health care, fund effective prevention programs, etc...; however, it is very important that the data be available to you and me to use for our personal health care choices. For example, the hope is that you will be able to use the data to compare health insurance companies, or to compare the cost and outcomes of a particular procedure at different hospitals. This is ultimately an end goal of the All Payer Database to make it useful to individuals and families like yours and mine.
STATE BUDGET & REVENUE UPDATE
The Executive Appropriations Committee received an update from the Legislative Fiscal Analysts Office as the State's Fiscal Year came to a close on July 1st. It is expected that revenues for the recently ending fiscal year will be below the most previous estimates by $50 to $150 million. The deficit is primarily a result of lower than expected collections from individual income tax revenue. The shortfall will not require a special legislative session to fix right away. During the 2010 legislative session, the legislature prepared the state budget with the anticipation of a shortfall; therefore, not requiring immediate action. While not good news, the legislature's economists are starting to see positive signs of economic recovery that will "...moderate revenues in the coming fiscal year".
ADDITIONAL INTERIM ASSIGNMENTS
Recently, I have been asked by Governor Herbert to participate in a roundtable discussion on Immigration Reform in the state of Utah.
The first meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 20th.
I also serve on the following Governor's Commissions:
Governor's Education Excellence Commission
Governor's Optimization Commission
One final note, there are no interim committee meetings the month of July, so the next update you will receive will be for August interim day.
I hope that you find this update useful and informative. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments.
Respectfully,
Rep. David Litvack District 26
Utah State House of Representatives
801.792.7172 (Cell)
801.596.0187 (Home)
dlitvack@utah.gov
