MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
Subcommittee on Rising Medical Costs
Thursday, September 5, 2002
8:30 a.m.
Capital Extension, E1.036
Austin, Texas
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance was
held on Thursday, September 5, 2002, in E1.036 at Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Robert Duncan, Chair Senator Judith Zaffirini
Senator Gonzalo Barrientos
Senator Troy Fraser
Senator Steve Ogden
Senator Todd Staples
Senator Carlos Truan
*****
Senator Robert Duncan, the acting chair, called the meeting to
order at 8:33 p.m. Senator Averitt was also present for a
portion of the hearing. The following business was transacted:
The following invited witnesses answered questions and provided
oral testimony:
Charles Dunlap and Ronnie Jung, both representing the
Teacher Retirement System, answered questions and briefed
the committee on the agency's LAR funding requests for
2004/2005.
Dr. Ben Raimer, Allen Hightower and Allen Sapp, all
representing Correctional Managed Health Care Committee,
answered questions from the committee and gave a
presentation entitled, Health Care Cost Drivers.
Commissioner Jose Montemayor, representing the Commission
of Insurance, answered questions and gave two briefings
regarding medical malpractice, and the state of the HMO
industry.
Joe Cunningham, Karol Shepard and Teresa Waters, all
representing the Texas Medical Association, gave a brief
presentation and answered questions from the committee.
John Simms, representing Trinity Medical Center, gave a
presentation entitled, The Rural Perspective.
Sally Jeffcoat, representing Texas Hospital Association,
briefed the committee on cost and revenue drivers of
healthcare.
Darren Whitehurst, representing Texas Hospital Association,
answered several questions from the committee.
Dr. Eugene Kolassa, an Associate Professor at the
University of Mississippi, Merrill Matthews Jr. Ph.D.,
Visiting Scholar at the Institute for Policy Innovation,
and Thomas Hardaway, were asked by PhRMA to provide oral
testimony. The panel gave brief presentations and answered
questions from the committee.
Todd Kaufman, Director of State Government Relations,
representing Genentech expressed how the state's fiscal
problem effects patients and their healthcare.
Will Sanders, Vice-President of Account Management, Mark A.
Tripodi, both representing Heritage Information Systems,
gave an overview and answered questions from the committee.
Commissioner Don Gilbert, representing Health and Human
Services Commission, answered several questions from the
committee.
Bill Hammond, Executive Director, and Lara Laneri Keel,
both representing Texas Association of Business answered
questions from the committee.
Tom Blaise, representing Town and Country Food Stores,
present on behalf of Texas Association of Business,
answered questions concerning large businesses.
Tom Fitzsimmons, President of SEI Metal forms, also present
on behalf of Texas Association of Business, answered
questions concerning small businesses.
Dr. Gary Goldstein, CEO of Humana, representing Texas
Association of Health Plans, gave a presentation on the
state of health care coverage in Texas.
The following witnesses gave public testimony:
Andrew M. Homer, representing the Texas Public Employees
Association.
Gary Anderson, representing Texas Public Employees
Association.
Louis Siedlecki, representing Pervasive Disability.
There being no further business, at 5:15 p.m. Senator Duncan
moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of
the chair. Without objection, it was so ordered.
______________________
Senator Robert Duncan, Chair
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Amber Martin, Clerk