THE bill that aims to provide an orderly transition of medical referral services from the Office of the Governor to Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. is more than just a travel assistance program, according to its author, Rep. Tina Sablan.
Sablan reiterated on Friday that what the House unanimously passed last month was a substitute version of House Bill 22-77 which would create a Health Network Program.
Sablan said the House Committee on Health and Welfare, which she chairs, came out with a substitute version after it worked closely with CHCC’s leadership, and reviewed the testimonies and data received from CHCC, the Office of the Attorney General, the Medical Referral Services Program, the Department of Finance, the special assistant for administration, the mayors, the Rota and Tinian Health Center resident directors, and concerned citizens.
In addition to non-substantive technical amendments, the committee amended the bill “to strengthen and further clarify” its intent.
Sablan said on Friday that the language mandating that medical referral operations should cease once funding is exhausted is not in the substitute bill that the House passed.
The purpose of H.B. 22-77 HS1, the committee report said, “is to establish a Health Network Program within the CHCC “in order to bring CNMI residents to CHCC’s network of providers, streamline assistance to eligible patients with demonstrated needs to access care beyond CHCC’s capacity and availability, and ensure the program operates within budgetary appropriations. This Substitute [bill] further provides for the orderly transition of medical referral services administration and operations to CHCC.”
A copy of the substitute bill was attached to a committee report dated April 21, 2022.
Section 2838 (g) of the substitute bill states:
“Operate the Health Network Program in a manner that does not exceed the CNMI general fund appropriation for HNP. If appropriated funding for the Health Network Program is exhausted prior to the end of the fiscal year, the CHCC shall submit a request to the Governor and the Legislature for supplemental appropriations.”
According to the substitute bill, “it is incumbent upon the CNMI government to manage the program’s operations to ensure that healthcare benefits afforded to residents of the CNMI are provided in a cost-efficient and equitable manner. It is therefore an objective of these rules and regulations to contain the costs of medical referrals by excluding unnecessary referrals, minimizing inappropriate lengths of stay at referral healthcare facilities, and establishing cost-sharing mechanisms with patients.”
The bill provides that “(a) The date of transfer of the program shall be within 120 days from the effective date of this Act. (b) Before the date of transfer, the Office of the Governor shall transfer all records and property of the off-island medical referral program to the CHCC. (c) Before the date of transfer, the CHCC may offer employment to employees of the off-island medical referral program, who have a satisfactory performance rating.”
During a meeting with the House Ways and Means Committee last week, Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig said the transition of the medical referral services from the Office of the Governor to CHCC should be completed by the beginning of the new fiscal year, or on Oct. 1, 2022.
Tina Sablan
