By Hoven Consulting  – WiHPCA’s lobbying firm

• Legislative Council Study Committee Members Announced

As mentioned in a prior WiHPCA monthly newsletter, the legislature organizes study committees in even-numbered years to hold public hearings and perform in-depth reviews of various state policy matters facing Wisconsin.  Legislators and members of the public are members of these committees.  Once these committees complete their series of public hearings in late 2022 or early 2023, they will draft legislation to address these policy areas and submit them to the legislature for possible consideration. 

Two of these committees will likely be of interest to WiHPCA members:  the Study Committee on Occupational Licenses and the Study Committee on Uniform Death Reporting Standards.  In early June, the legislature selected members of both committees.  The Occupational Licenses committee includes two members from the health care field – a senior vice president from the Wisconsin Hospital Association and the director of business development from a rural community clinic.  The Uniform Death Reporting Standards committee includes two medical examiners and a public health nurse. 

These committees will likely hold their first meeting later this summer.  The committees will hold public, in-person meetings in Madison once per month until they have completed their work.  It is likely that these committee meetings will be streamed live on Wisconsin Eye.  Of course, the WiHPCA government affairs team will monitor the work of these committees.  

• DHS Announces Grant Program Promoting Health Equity in COVID-19 Vaccinations

In May, the state Department of Health Services announced their “Moving Forward Together Grant Program”.  This program is intended to improve equity with respect to COVID-19 vaccination in Wisconsin.  Various community organizations are eligible to apply for grant awards, which are capped at $400,000 per grant, to improve COVID-19 vaccination rates in Wisconsin, particularly in underserved communities.  DHS will accept grant applications on a rolling basis until funding is no longer available.  However, it is important to note that grant expense reimbursement will occur through November 30, 2022.  More information is available at:  https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/moving-forward-together-grant.htm

• DSPS Eliminates Fees to Increase Participation in the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program

In early June, the state Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) announced that the agency is no longer charging fees to integrate the Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (ePDMP) into electronic health record systems managed by health systems and other health care entities.  The intent is to simplify access for health care organizations, as well as increase wider participation within the health care community.  To apply for a no-monthly fee ePDMP integration or for more information, go to the ePDMP website. 

• Spotlight--2022 State Legislative Campaign – 19^th State Senate District

Starting in this month’s Madison Update, we will highlight one notable race for a particular state legislative district.  This month, we will highlight the 19^th Senate District, a Fox Valley district that includes the communities of Appleton, Menasha and Neenah. 

The 19^th Senate District is represented by Roger Roth (R-Appleton), who is currently running for the Republican nomination for Lieutenant Governor. With Senators Roth’s departure, the district could be competitive, as Senator Roth was re-elected to this position in 2018 with a margin of 6.5 percent over his Democratic opponent. However, the August 9 Republican primary will likely determine who will be the next Senator for the 19^th Senate District due to the Republican lean of this district. The following is a brief overview of the two Republican candidates seeking the nomination for the 19^th Senate District, as well as the one Democratic candidate. 

The candidates for the 19^th Senate District are Republicans Rachael Cabral-Guevara and Andrew Thomsen, as well as Democrat Kristin Alfheim. 

•    Rachael Cabral-Guevara is currently an incumbent State Representative, representing Neenah and portions of Menasha and Appleton in the 55th Assembly District.  She is a member of the Assembly Health Committee, in addition to working as a nurse practitioner.  Rep. Cabral-Guevara also operates the Nurse Practitioner Health Services, LLC clinic in Appleton.  Her healthcare platform includes medical transparency and accountability, fighting medical fraud and supporting mental health treatment/rehabilitation programs.   

•    Andrew Thomsen is a recently retired sales professional and small business owner with experience in the pulp and paper industry.  If elected, he intends to be a full-time legislator.  He is running on a platform that includes a number of issues, including health care policy.  According to his website, he notes the following related views:
• • “Healthcare must be patient centered.”
  • “Healthcare must adhere to free market principles in order to provide improved service at a reduced cost.”
  • “Increased resources and funding for mental health research and treatment.”
•    Kristin Alfheim is a member of the City of Appleton’s Common Council and has served on the city’s Taskforce on Resiliency, Climate Mitigation and Adaptation.  She is currently a Retirement Income Certified Professional and has worked in the financial services and insurance industry for over 20 years.  In addition, she served as the president of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors in 2019, as well as on the organization’s board of directors.  Her campaign website addresses her view on a number of policy areas, including health care.  In particular, her website states the following:  “We need to reduce the administrative burdens on doctors and nurses so they can spend more time helping their patients.  Kristin also believes alternative medicine options may provide affordable, non-addictive solutions to add to our traditional protocols.”