SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

March 12, 2001 Hearing Room B

1:00 PM Tapes 49 - 52

MEMBERS PRESENT: Sen. Bill Fisher, Chair

Sen. Margaret Carter, Vice-Chair

Sen. Frank Shields

Sen. Ken Messerle

MEMBER EXCUSED: Sen. Gary George

STAFF PRESENT: Rick Berkobien, Administrator

Andrew Morris, Committee Assistant

MEASURES HEARD: SB 813 Public Hearing

HB 2469A Public Hearing

SB 887 Public Hearing and Work Session

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 49, A
004	Chair Fisher	Calls meeting to order at 1:08 p.m. and opens a public hearing on SB 813. Enters a letter into the record (EXHIBIT A).
SB 813 PUBLIC HEARING
012	Rick Berkobien	Administrator. Explains SB 813 to the committee.
036	Nan Heim	Oregon Ambulance Association. Testifies in support of SB 813.
057	Shawn Baird.	Woodburn Ambulance. Presents testimony in support of SB 813 (EXHIBIT B). Comments on services provided by his company. Explains reimbursement rates. Discusses the disparities with Oregon Medical Assistance Programs (OMAP) reimbursements.
145	Chair Fisher	Asks about reimbursement rates.
150	Baird	Responds by explaining the current situation.
173	Ted Farr	Salem Fire Department. Testifies in support of SB 813. Reiterates Baird’s testimony. States that ambulances do not have a choice to serve a certain population or not.
221	Bob Manning	Pacific West Ambulance. Testifies in support of SB 813. Comments on ambulance service in rural areas. Discusses costs and revenues in rural areas.
258	Chair Fisher	Asks about procedures in responding to emergency calls.
273	Baird	Responds by explaining the procedures and costs. States that Oregon requires the most training of all 50 states to be an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Comments on continuing education. States it costs over $100,000 to purchase and ready an ambulance.
366	Farr	States Salem recently awarded a bid for $166,00 to purchase an ambulance. States it costs about $500,000 per year to operate a single ambulance.
399	Chair Fisher	Asks how long it takes to re-service an ambulance after a call.
416	Farr	Responds it takes about an hour to have the ambulance ready again.
TAPE 50, A
004	Sen. Carter	Asks how the $166 figure is reached by OMAP.
015	Sen. Messerle	Asks how a co-pay for the Oregon Health Plan would affect the ambulance industry.
030	Baird	Responds the impact of a co-pay would be minimal.
041	Farr	Comments on current practices.
050	Manning	States that in a rural area the time to re-service an ambulance is much longer than the urban area.
082	Heim	Comments on the fiscal impact. Discusses the working relationship with OMAP.
100	Chair Fisher	Comments on federal funding.
103	Sen. Shields	Asks if there are any states below Oregon in reimbursement rates.
108	Baird	Responds that reimbursement rates are a problem throughout the country.
120	Chair Fisher	Discusses the need for the bill.
139	Sen. Carter	Asks how long there has been a disparity in reimbursement.
145	Baird	Responds for many years.
159	Sen. Shields	Asks for comments from OMAP.
175	Bruce Bishop	Kaiser Foundation. Testifies in support of SB 813. States the legislation is needed.
200	Dick Wilt	West Ambulance. Testifies in support of SB 813. Comments on costs associated with service. States that increasing costs are beyond the control of ambulance operators.
245	Chair Fisher	Comments on increasing costs.
256	Sen. Shields	Asks about charges.
259	Wilt	Responds by explaining charges. Comments on cost shifting.
284	Sen. Shields	Asks if there are any companies facing bankruptcy.
290	Wilt	Responds he is unsure, but for his company cutbacks will be required.
310	Chair Fisher	Closes the public hearing on SB 813 and opens a public hearing on SB 887.
SB 887 PUBLIC HEARING
325	Berkobien	Explains SB 887 to the committee.
350	Margaret Murphy-Carley	Oregon Health Care Association. Testifies in support of SB 887 (EXHIBIT C). Gives a sectional analysis of SB 887.
TAPE 49, B
011	Vice-Chair Carter	Closes the public hearing on SB 887 and opens a work session on SB 887.
SB 887 PUBLIC HEARING
014	Sen. Shields	MOTION: Moves SB 887 to the floor with a DO PASS recommendation.
		VOTE: 4-0 AYE: 4 - Carter, Messerle, Shields, Fisher EXCUSED: 1 - George
030	Vice-Chair Carter	The motion CARRIES. SEN. MESSERLE will lead discussion on the floor.
035	Chair Fisher	Closes the work session on SB 887 and opens a public hearing on HB 2469A.
HB 2496A PUBLIC HEARING
043	Berkobien	Explains HB 2469A to the committee.
071	Doug Barber	Oregon Dental Health Coalition, Willamette Dental Group. Testifies in support of HB 2469A (EXHIBIT D).
097	Gary Allen, DMD	Dentist. Testifies in support of HB 2469A (EXHIBIT E). States that due to current law, many dentists will not attempt to obtain an Oregon license due to the bureaucracy. Relates a personal experience. Comments on shortages in dentistry that Oregon faces. Explains Washington state’s current law.
203	Astrid Newell, MD	Center for Child and Family Health. Presents testimony in support of (EXHIBIT F). Gives related statistics. Comments on the need for HB 2469A. States licensing by credentials has broad support.
250	Vice-Chair Carter	Asks how credentials are determined.
264	Allen	Responds by explaining the licensing process. States that administrative rules would be developed if the bill were passed.
289	Mike Shirtcliff, DMD	Director, Northwest Dental Services. Testifies in opposition to HB 2469A (EXHIBIT G). States that the bill needs amendments. States the bill could decrease the dental population. States the bill would allow for corporate dental companies to come into Oregon. Explains the bill would not help rural Oregon. Comments on reciprocity.
397	Ian Timm	Executive Director, Oregon Primary Care Association. Testifies in support of HB 2469A (EXHIBIT H).
TAPE 50, B
000	Timm	Continues testimony. Comments on dentist shortages. Relates statistics from (EXHIBIT H). Comments on barriers to practicing dentistry in Oregon. Relates open positions throughout Oregon.
069	Sen. Messerle	Asks how a designation of need is determined.
080	Timm	Responds a non-profit clinic usually pursues the designation.
087	Sen. Messerle	Asks about survey’s done in counties.
092	Timm	Explains how the surveys were done.
096	Sen. Messerle	Asks if needs are determined through responses to surveys.
100	Timm	Responds by describing how needs are determined.
106	Shirtcliff	Comments on the survey that was done. Discusses rural statistics.
132	Sen. Messerle	Asks about the waiting period to get into a dentist.
136	Shirtcliff	Responds the wait is up to three months.
147	Sen. Messerle	Asks about the waiting period in urban areas and pediatric dental care.
152	Timm	Responds there is a growing shortage of dentists.
171	Bill Timpass, DMD	Dentist. Testifies in opposition to HB 2469A. States the bill takes options away from the Oregon Board of Dentistry. Comments on pediatric dentistry in Oregon. Explains lack of access. Comments on the importance of quality care. Comments on the position of the American Dental Association.
282	Sen. Carter	Comments on continuing education.
288	Timpass	Comments on Washington’s law. Gives conclusions.
311	Clayton Stearns, DMD	Oregon Board of Dentistry. Reads testimony in opposition to HB 2469A (EXHIBIT I). States the Oregon Dental Association is opposed to HB 2469A. Comments on the licensing exam process. Explains the function of the Board of Dentistry.
TAPE 51, A
000	Stearns	Gives statistical data comparing Oregon and Washington. Rebuts testimony provided by the proponents. States that Oregon ranks tenth in the nation for dentist/patient ratio.
091	Chair Fisher	Asks about the recently enacted law in Washington.
097	Stearns	Responds by explaining Washington law.
129	Stearns	Continues reading testimony.
229	Stearns	Comments on the examination process.
270	Chair Fisher	Asks about military dentists.
275	Stearns	Responds that dentists in the military are expected to have licensure in at least one state.
285	Chair Fisher	Asks about the impacts of the bill.
288	Stearns	Responds by explaining different practices. States the examination process evolves with time.
332	Hart Laws	Reads Steven Duffin’s, DMD, testimony in support of HB 2469A (EXHIBIT J).
420	Sen. Carter	States a need for a more progressive approach.
431	Stearns	Explains the original proposal was different than HB 2469A.
TAPE 52, A
000	Stearns	States that Oregon allows open testing twice a year for specialists. States the Western Regional Board has testing 14 times a year.
036	Chair Fisher	Asks about a presented scenario.
041	Stearns	Responds a possible situation that could have occurred.
052	Chair Fisher	Asks about physicians.
055	Stearns	Responds that physicians have different guidelines.
075	Timpass	Relates a personal experience. States a need for a competent exam.
088	Stearns	Comments on licensure.
095	Chair Fisher	Asks about Oregon Health Sciences University’s (OHSU) program.
102	Stearns	Responds it is possible for unqualified people to graduate.
108	Timpass	Discusses licensure. Comments on current statutes.
125	Stearns	Comments on OHSU’s program. Explains his work on the Board of Dentistry.
164	Jack Clinton	Associate Dean, School of Dentistry, OHSU. Testifies on HB 2469A (EXHIBIT K).
210	Chair Fisher	Closes the public hearing on HB 2469A and reopens the work session on SB 887 and declares a potential conflict of interest. Closes the work session on SB 887 and adjourns the meeting at 3:45 p.m.

Submitted By, Reviewed By,

Andrew Morris, Rick Berkobien,

Committee Assistant Administrator

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – SB 813, Letter, Sen. Bill Fisher, 1 p.

B – SB 813, Written testimony, Shawn Baird, 2 pp.

C – SB 887, Written testimony, Margaret Murphy-Carley, 2 pp.

D – HB 2469A, Written testimony, Doug Barber, 1 p.

E – HB 2469A, Written testimony, Gary Allen, 5 pp.

F – HB 2469A, Written testimony, Astrid Newell, 2 pp.

G – HB 2469A, Written testimony, Mike Shirtcliff, 2 pp.

H – HB 2469A, Information Packet, Ian Timm, 16 pp.

I – HB 2469A, Written testimony and information, Clayton Stearns, 27 pp.

J – HB 2469A, Written testimony, Hart Laws, 2 pp.

K – HB 2469A, Written testimony, Jack Clinton, 2 pp.