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Three Medical Society Members Appointed to Medicaid Reform Panel

Three SLMMS members have been appointed by Missouri House of Representatives Speaker Tim Jones to serve on a 50-member panel that will study reform of the state’s Medicaid system.  They are: emergency medicine specialist Randy Jotte, MD; family physician Ed Weisbart, MD; and internal medicine physician Charles Willey, MD. This Citizens and Legislators Working Group on Medicaid Eligibility and Reform will make recommendations to a House Interim Committee on Medicaid Transformation prior to the 2014 session. The Affordable Care Act offers significant increases in Medicaid support and benefits to states but eliminates the Disproportionate Share payments to hospitals. However, Missouri is among a number of states that have opted out of the ACA’s Medicaid package. Public hearings will be held around the state in the coming weeks.

View Speaker Jones’ announcement

Following is the story posted on stltoday.com:

JEFFERSON CITY   •   Fifty people — including 36 non-legislators — got the nod from House Speaker Tim Jones today to be part of a working group that will study Medicaid.

Jones said in a news release that the members represent “both sides of the issue” on how to overhaul Medicaid. Indeed, they look to be a diverse lot.

For example, Jones appointed a Democrat who is often a vocal critic of the Republican-led Legislature: Jeff Mazur, executive director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Other members come from organizations representing nurse practitioners, people with disabilities and the Missouri Council for the Blind. Those groups have tangled with the Legislature lately.

The speaker identifies one appointee, Phyllis Melton, simply as a Medicaid recipient.

Other choices were more predictable. They include medical professionals and executives who work at hospitals, the home care industry, managed care companies, pregnancy resource centers and community health centers.

The working group, which will be chaired by Rep. Noel Torpey, R-Independence, plans to hold public hearings around the state on the health care program for the poor, possibly starting as early as next week in Independence.

The committee includes 14 legislators. Two – Democrats Kimberly Gardner and Joshua Peters – are from St. Louis.

The non-legislators from the St. Louis-area include:

Roger Archibald, CFO for Sak Construction, O’Fallon; Shannon Bagley, CEO for Home State Health Plan, St. Louis; Karl Wilson, psychologist from Wentzville and former CEO for Crider Health Center, Wentzville; Dr. Ed Weisbart, physician from St. Louis.

Dale Lindhorst, owner of Sterling Financial Advisors, Wildwood; Michael Scavotto, chief executive at Management Performance Associates, St. Louis; Dr. Charles Willey, CEO for Innovare Health Advocates, St. Louis; Mark Dungan, manager of Thrive Pregnancy Resource Center, Eureka.

Aimee Wehmeier, CEO for Paraquad, St. Louis; Robert Cerrano, CFO for the O’Fallon Fire Protection District, O’Fallon; and Dr. Randy Jotte, emergency physician at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis.

The group will forward its suggestions on reforming the system to the House Interim Committee on Medicaid Transformation, chaired by Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City. That panel will draft legislation to be considered in January.

St. Louis-area House members on the transformation committee are Reps. Sue Allen, R-Town and Country; Marsha Haefner, R-St. Louis County; Rick Stream, R-Kirkwood; Jeanne Kirkton, D-Webster Groves; Gina Mitten, D-St. Louis; and Steve Webb, D-Florissant.

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If you have a question or comment about the St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Society
contact us online or call: 314-786-5473

St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Society
1023 Executive Parkway, Suite 16
Creve Coeur, MO 63141
Phone 314-786-5473

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