2009 Budget Bill & Amendments

Read description of VACEP Position and actions assigned to those positions. If you have any questions please email: Gwen Harry, Executive Director

See the current weekly update.

VACEP is watching the "money committees" as they work to revise the Governor's proposed budget.

Our Legislative Goals are:

#1 - Monitor the Budget Bills to ensure no amendments are offered that reduce reimbursemen rates to emergency physicians. (The Governor's proposed budget maintains current Medicaid physician fee schedules. VACEP supports increases in tobacco taxes to fund health care.)

#2 - Actively Support funding for Virginia's three Poison Control Centers. Virginia's PCC receive over 100,000 suspected/real poisoning calls from citizens that would likely come to emergency departments if this service were not available. Maintaining Virginia's PCC network provides needed access to information and prevention of medical emergencies that would otherwise present at our already overcrowded emergency departments. We are In Favor of a Joint Commission on Health Care review of Virginia's PCC system.

#3 - We are In Favor of funding psychiatric treatment facilities for children.

The line item amendments were reviewed by the VaCEP Board and Leadership on January 23. We are watching these bills closely and will issue action alerts when your help is needed.

Status as of February 28, 2009