2001 Governor's State of the State speeches: on Health Care
Mike Easley:
Supports Patients’ Bill of Rights with right to sue
We’re introducing a Patients’ Bill of Rights that many of you have been working for. It will protect patients’ rights, and it will make our principle very clear - if an insurer denies access to its consumers and that denial results in injury
then they must face the consequences just as a doctor, nurse or hospital. Those insurers who are trying to limit your medical treatment have to accept the accountability as well as the profit.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to N. C. Legislature
Feb 19, 2001
Mike Easley:
Prescription drug plan for seniors reduces net costs
We will have a prescription drug plan for seniors. The rising cost of medication has caused many to choose between pain medication and antibiotics. The result is they end up sick, in the hospital - more cost for us and more suffering for them.
We have the funds available from a portion of the tobacco settlement to help our seniors - the greatest generation. They were there for us when we needed them, and we will be there for them now that they need us. No Excuses.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to N. C. Legislature
Feb 19, 2001
Bob Wise:
$1.5M to provide healthcare access for every child
This Legislature has acted wisely in establishing a Children’s Health Insurance Program to help the uninsured children of working families. But this program has yet to reach many eligible children. I have included one and a half million dollars
in the budget to cover additional children. And we will work aggressively - and cut through red tape - to make sure every child in West Virginia has access to coverage - whether under CHIP, Medicaid, or private insurance. Every child. That’s my goal.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to West Virginia Legislature
Feb 14, 2001
Bob Wise:
Improve patient rights by allowing to sue HMOs
We have a patient bill of rights law, so they say, in West Virginia - but patients will tell you, it does not grant them very many rights. I want to fix that. I will present for your consideration a new Patient Bill of Rights,
which includes a fast, impartial grievance procedure for disputes, independent reviews of coverage denials, and the right to sue an HMO for negligence that results in harm to a patient.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to West Virginia Legislature
Feb 14, 2001
Bob Wise:
More discounts for prescription drugs
We now have a strategy to contain prescription drug costs: we’re going to create a pharmacy benefit program for our poorest senior citizens. We’re going to expand the discount program for seniors above the poverty level. We’re developing a drug
benefit plan that could be an add-on for people on Medicare and employer-based insurance. And we’re going to pool the buying power of all the state agencies that purchase medicine and use this to drive a harder bargain with the drug companies.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to West Virginia Legislature
Feb 14, 2001
John Engler:
No assisted suicide; but End of Life Care & more pain relief
Michigan voters wisely rejected assisted suicide, but every Michigan family still faces the difficult realities of death and dying. I established the Commission on End of Life Care to help families receive compassionate care
for their loved ones confronting death. Today, modern medicine can relieve even the most severe physical pain. Tonight, I propose that we increase access to effective pain management throughout Michigan.
I will work with this legislature to remove barriers to pain relief so that the end of life can be dignified, and the physical and emotional suffering can be eased.
I also urge all Michigan citizens to engage in a caring conversation with their family and loved ones concerning their wants and wishes for end of life care. Each and every one of us deserve to have our wishes known and honored.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to Michigan legislature
Jan 31, 2001
Bob Holden:
Use tobacco settlement to pay for senior prescriptions
I want to see that our state’s portion of the national tobacco settlement is used for vital health care needs, [including] helping our senior citizens cope with skyrocketing prescription costs. As you know, Medicare doesn’t cover prescription drugs, and
many of our seniors certainly cannot afford to buy separate insurance. Prescription drug relief for seniors is one of my highest priorities this year. Under my plan, no eligible senior will pay more than $1,500 a person or $3,000 a family for their
prescription drugs in any one year. In addition, those seniors and those disabled Missourians on Medicare or Supplemental Security Income who do not already have insurance coverage for prescriptions will be able to buy their medicines at reduced rates-up
to 20% less than they are currently paying. Because of these actions, we will be able to phase out our present prescription drug tax credit, which has failed to help those seniors who most need our assistance because of catastrophic health care costs.
Source: 2001 State of the State speech in Missouri House Chambers
Jan 30, 2001
Bob Holden:
Healthy Families Initiative: health care access for all
My Healthy Families Initiative tackles our problem of providing health care access to all Missourians. Over 90% of our counties are designated as shortage areas for health care professionals. At the same time, many of our medical facilities that treat
uninsured Missourians are facing budget cuts that may force them to reduce medical services to the poor. I want to see us maintain a health care system that provides continued health care access for low-income adults, guarantees hospital care for the
uninsured, increases medical education payments to teaching hospitals, and establishes grants for rural and hospital-based clinics.We need recruitment incentives so primary care doctors and dentists will take their practices into the underserved areas
of our state. We will also establish a telehealth center at the U. Missouri School of Medicine so patients and providers can interact with health care professionals miles away and medical training is available to doctors in isolated areas of the state.
Source: 2001 State of the State speech in Missouri House Chambers
Jan 30, 2001
Don Sundquist:
We must save TennCare, for children & the needy
Thanks to our TennCare program, more children are being immunized. More women seek and get prenatal care. Infant mortality is at an all-time low. Fewer people are being treated in hospital emergency rooms.We were the first state to make health
care available to every child. That’s a commitment we need to keep. It’s not just children who depend on TennCare. It’s our neighbors, our friends and our families who wouldn’t have health insurance any other way. And for every dollar that goes
to care for these people, the state pays only 18 cents. TennCare must be saved.
Let me speak very plainly. If TennCare fails, our only real alternative is to drop 350,000 Tennesseans who can’t get basic, affordable health insurance. We would
do our best to continue to cover our children. But we would shift to a stripped-down, managed-care program for our federally mandated Medicaid population. We will not go to a fee-for-service arrangement. That’s a bad alternative, and it’s not my choice.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to Tennessee legislature
Jan 29, 2001
Judy Martz:
Insured 10,000 kids under CHIPs; aim for 20,000
Thanks to the Children’s Health Insurance Program, 10,000 formerly uninsured youngsters have good health insurance coverage. That’s progress in my book. We eliminated the small enrollment fee and have simplified the application process.
We have come half way in our goal to insure a total of 20,000 children. I’m going to continue to bring more Montanans under the umbrella of affordable health insurance. We’ll qualify families for CHIP at incomes up to 160% of poverty.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to Montana Legislature
Jan 25, 2001
Angus King:
Fund prevention programs “Campaign for a Healthy Maine”
A substantial portion of the health care bill in Maine is avoidable, because it relates to health care costs we bring on ourselves - through choices about the way we live. Four chronic diseases - cardiovascular and lung disease, cancer, and diabetes-
all related to smoking, lack of exercise and poor diet- kill 75% of Maine people. I propose that we use the money received from the national tobacco settlement primarily for a Campaign for a Healthy Maine, an initiative which empowers state agencies,
communities, schools, and health care providers to effectively address this chronic disease epidemic [focusing on]:- Prevention and cessation of smoking in Maine, especially among our young people.
- Promoting prevention measures within our
schools and our communities.
- Alcohol and substance abuse prevention.
- A new psychiatric treatment center and investments in community mental health that will improve the delivery of these critical services.
Source: 2001 State of the State address to the Me. legislature
Jan 24, 2001
Bob Taft:
Golden Buckeye Card for senior Rx discounts
We’ll also address the staggering cost of prescription drugs for our senior citizens. Insurance companies routinely negotiate discounts of up to 30 percent off the price they pay for drugs - and some will pass these savings along to consumers.
I will propose legislation to allow the state to select the best possible discount program for all Ohio’s seniors, and make it available through our Golden Buckeye Card. It’s time to give seniors a helping hand on the cost of prescription drugs!
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to Ohio Legislature
Jan 24, 2001
Benjamin Cayetano:
$141M for new medical school at University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii is not just a place of higher learning; it is also a driving force for the economic development of this State. That is why I am proposing we support a brand new, world-class medical school in Kakaako Makai.
The new medical school will be the foundation of Hawaii’s healthcare and biotechnology industries. At $141 million for the first phase, it will not come cheap. But it will help develop a biotechnology industry.
Source: 2001 State of the State address to Hawaii Legislature
Jan 22, 2001
Kenny Guinn:
Fund alternatives to long-term care for seniors
With the fastest growing senior population in the nation, Nevada must plan ahead. Therefore, I am requesting funding to study alternative living support, long-term care, and other programs to address our seniors’ needs effectively and
efficiently into the future. But for those seniors who need our help today, I propose to increase Medicaid waivers by 40 percent to allow seniors to live in their communities and homes rather than hospitals.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to the Nevada Legislature
Jan 22, 2001
Kenny Guinn:
Double the funding for the disabled
We must invest in the health and welfare of all Nevadans. I believe we must measure success by how we are able to care for the most fragile of our citizens -- our children, our elderly, and those who are disabled. -
Therefore, I am proposing to double the funding that helps physically disabled Nevadans stay in their homes, with their families.
- In addition, my proposed increases in services to the developmentally disabled will eliminate all waiting lists for
community-based services for these citizens.
- Furthermore, I am urging the creation of the Office of Disability Resources, which will combine several existing services in one location. The office will create a long-range plan to better provide
services to individuals of all ages with disabilities.
- Finally, we will use federal grant money to develop policies and infrastructure that will allow the disabled to go to work without risking the loss of Medicaid or Medicare health coverage.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to the Nevada Legislature
Jan 22, 2001
Kenny Guinn:
Expand Senior Rx
With the Legislature’s help, I will expand Senior Rx, a program that addresses one of the most compelling needs faced by Nevada’s senior citizens -- prescription drug coverage.
Two years ago, the Nevada Legislature voted unanimously to provide a subsidized prescription drug insurance plan for the state’s neediest seniors. Senior Rx was enacted while others argued about the issue. While Congress bickered, we acted.
As of this month, we have received 1,400 applications for Senior Rx. Some seniors will save hundreds of dollars a month. For others, this program isn’t about savings -- it’s about the difference between receiving your needed medicine or doing without.
Senior Rx is working, and we must expand it. It is time to offer these life-saving benefits to more Nevadans in need.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to the Nevada Legislature
Jan 22, 2001
Mike Johanns:
Use tobacco settlement for biomedical research
We should formulate a rational approach for utilizing the proceeds from the tobacco settlement. I propose that a major endowment be dedicated to biomedical research at these facilities while leaving the majority of the tobacco funds
for significant public health needs. We are so close to solving once and for all the riddles of many diseases with this research. These funds can offer a new day and a new life for Nebraskans and people around the world.
In addition to this research, there are many needs to be funded with the remaining portion of the tobacco settlement. You know as I do that there are many health care needs in Nebraska that are not being met.
I would submit, however, that there is no, and I repeat, no greater priority for funding than in the area of mental health.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to Nebraska Legislature
Jan 11, 2001
Mike Johanns:
$6M increase in funding for mental health
I propose we significantly boost funding for mental health. First, let’s agree to make mental health funding the highest priority with the remaining tobacco settlement dollars. Specifically, I propose dedicating $6 million in tobacco settlement funds
for mental health over the biennium. Second, let’s join together to increase general fund support for mental health. Including the tobacco settlement funds, I propose increasing mental health aid from $28.5 million in the current fiscal year
to $33.6 million dollars in fiscal year 2002 and to $38.7 million dollars in fiscal year 2003. This represents a more than 35% increase over the biennium.
I recognize that even more needs to be done and so I pledge to do what I can to help Senator
Jensen and the Health and Human Services Committee and Senator Wehrbein and the Appropriations Committee to identify mental health needs, prioritize them, and fund them. Maybe we can do more than what I propose today.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to Nebraska Legislature
Jan 11, 2001
Jim Geringer:
More funding for prescription drugs & senior care
Wyoming will benefit from our hard work this year to improve care for our elderly. In addition to the expanded funding that I’ve recommended in my budget request for health care services and prescription drugs, I support the proposals developed
with your help for long-term care reform, providing seniors with access to assisted living, expanding home based care, re-engineering Medicaid’s arcane administrative details, and giving seniors a boost to their personal needs allowance.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to Wyoming Legislature
Jan 10, 2001
Jim Gilmore:
$25M more for medical care for most vulnerable citizens
There are certain men and women who those of us in government must always remember. Our most vulnerable citizens - the poor, the sick, the elderly, the disabled - often have no other alternative than help from the government.
Thousands of needy adults and children all across Virginia depend on Medicaid for their medical care. But with the rising cost of services and the growing use of those services, the financial burden on the state has increased dramatically.
I propose we fully fund Medicaid this year. In addition, I propose $25 million to compensate the Medical College of Virginia for the care they provide patients who don’t have insurance or whose treatment isn’t covered by Medicaid.
We must leave no Virginian behind, especially the poor who can’t afford medical care.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to VA General Assembly
Jan 10, 2001
Mike Huckabee:
ARKids First program: record decreases in uninsured
We led the nation in the percentage decrease of uninsured citizens, in large part because of the passage four years ago of the ARKids First program, which is one of the nation’s premier
programs for health insurance. Many were thrilled when Columbia University released the report last year that showed Arkansas reduced child poverty more than any other state.
Source: 2001 State of the State address to the Arkansas legislature
Jan 9, 2001
Jane Dee Hull:
Supports Kidscare; publicize it via schools
[My first priority] is Kidscare. Today, three years after legislative approval, 94,000 children who previously had no healthcare coverage are receiving the care they need. We still haven’t reached as many children as we should. The most effective ways
to tell parents about programs like Kidscare are through word of mouth, the schools, and the media. Unfortunately, Arizona law restricts using the schools to reach eligible children. I think it’s time to use every resource, including our schools.
Source: 2001 State of the State address to the Arizona legislature
Jan 8, 2001
Ronnie Musgrove:
Medical Education Scholarships for rural doctors
The creation last year of Medical Education Scholarship Programs provides full scholarships for up to twenty new recipients each year provided they agree to serve ten years in family medicine in a critical needs area of our state. In tandem with
licensing physicians’ assistants we will begin to see the expansion of access to health care particularly in rural areas. Continuing the effort to recruit doctors and other health care providers to rural Mississippi remains a top priority.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to Mississippi legislature
Jan 4, 2001
Ronnie Musgrove:
Invest in state employees’ health plan, despite budget
Mississippi’s package of health benefits for state employees may be better than some states across our nation, but it’s not good enough. As with private plans, deductibles continue to increase while coverage seems to shrink every year. We must
not use the budget as an excuse to avoid tackling the difficult issues in health care. We may not solve all the problems with health insurance costs quickly, but we can begin with a sound investment in the health insurance we offer our state employees.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to Mississippi legislature
Jan 4, 2001
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