From time to time, we mention the old saying that lawmaking is akin to making sausage or scrapple —in other words, it’s not a pretty sight.
The process was on full display last week when the House passed a measure to review and approve the budgets of acute care hospitals in the state.
The measure is fiercely opposed by the state’s hospital systems, which issued dire warnings that a regulatory panel with budgeting power would endanger their balance sheets and quality of care. House Republicans joined hospitals in arguing that politicians should not be in a position to make decisions governing healthcare.
Brian Frazee, the new executive director of the Delaware Healthcare Association, the trade group for hospitals that has no non-hospital directors, was likely surprised by the whole affair. His predecessor, former legislator Wayne Smith, might have had his ear to the ground to the possibility of such legislation..
The hospital lobby was also facing a tough-minded House Speaker, Valerie Longhurst, who did not back down on the need for the bill in a state where hospital costs are among the highest around
According to accounts from the media and legislators, the usual manners disappeared as the bill was debated in what was described as a “filibuster” with rambling remarks that went on for hours.
As the debate stretched into the evening, Democrats decided to use a House rule to end the proceedings and move to a vote. That drew a heated response from Republicans and one Democrat from Dover who did not get a chance to speak on the issue.
The House approved the measure, and Democratic and Republican reps vented their frustrations in social media posts and media coverage.
As noted earlier in this space, a good first step would be a full public release of hospital budgets in an easy-to-understand format. Detailed budgets would be posted on the state’s Open Data Portal.
The HealthCare Association chief made a good point in noting that a top-level plan to control health costs needs time and more input.
At the same time, legislators know the “buck stops here” as they have to deal with the reality that healthcare costs account for a third of the state’s budget.
For its part, the hospital industry needs to propose solutions that do not endanger the quality of care but come with a sense of urgency. – Doug Rainey chief content officer.
