08/28/2007
Many Ideas But Few Details From Commission on Affordable Health Care
The Commission on Affordable Health Care met for a third time in Mason City last week. Many of the commission members worked within three working groups to focus on:
- funding
- costs and quality
- coverage
To date, much of the meetings have revolved around discussion and presentations; however, during this meeting, breakout groups took an in-depth look at some of the issues.
Guiding principles established
The commission has worked to establish guiding principles in order to focus discussion. Unfortunately, the principles are vague and conflict with one another. Over the course of the next few meetings, the group will work to find solutions that fit within these parameters:
- Coverage and care should be universal
- Coverage should be affordable and take into account all health-care costs
- Everyone should have a medical home
- Health care should be accessible
- Financing should be a shared responsibility
- Reforms should drive quality improvements and contain costs
- Reforms should do no harm
- Reforms must be sustainable and obtainable
The challenge the commission faces is making specific policy recommendations that do not conflict with any of the above eight principles.
Government paying for government information
During the Mason City meeting, there was a moment of chuckling from the audience and some disbelief from commission members. The Department of Public Health issued a proposal to perform a long-term Care Workforce Review for the commission. So what this boiled down to is a state commission will now pay $30,000 to the Iowa Department of Public Health to issue a report on information they already have.
Public hearing schedule
Former Governors Tom Vilsack and Terry Branstad will be co-hosting three public forums to hear Iowans' thoughts on health care. Below are the times and locations for all three hearings.
All meetings are from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Tuesday, Sept. 4 -- Council Bluffs -- Looft Hall, Iowa Western Community College, 2700 College Road
- Wednesday, Sept. 26 -- Indianola -- Lekberg Hall, Amy Robertson Music Center, Simpson College
- Thursday, Sept. 27 -- Bettendorf -- Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency, 729 21st Street
Legislative property tax study committee
The property tax study committee has announced its members and arranged for the first meeting. As you recall, this group is charged with reforming and simplifying Iowa's complex property tax system.
NFIB/Iowa was fortunate to be named by legislative leadership to the committee with the responsibility of representing all commercial property taxpayers. To that end, NFIB will be represented by Tom Zucker. Zucker is a longtime NFIB member and currently sits on the statewide Leadership Council. He owned Zook's Harley-Davidson in Des Moines for more than 26 years.
Commercial property taxes: Information needed
NFIB needs your help!
For the property tax commission both Zucker and NFIB/Iowa State Director Andy Warren are looking for "real life" commercial property tax testimonies to help fuel the need for commercial property tax relief.
Please send any testimony to andy.warren@nfib.org or call 515-243-4723. This information will greatly assist NFIB efforts on this committee.
First Meeting
Wednesday, Sept. 12
10 a.m.
State Capitol Building
Supreme Court Chamber (Room 103)
Des Moines, Iowa
All members are welcome to attend.
