Article archive / August 1, 2016
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 8. Source pages: 16.
Task Force for “Meaningful Oversight” to Meet in August
At task force created by Senate Concurrent Resolution directed to review laws and possible structures for oversight of the 25 healthcare boards that fall under the Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) is set to meet sometime in August, said a representative from the Senate Health & Welfare Committee.
A tentative date is August 26, and letters from DHH asking the task force members for their designees were sent last month. The task force is to make recommendations to the legislature for the 2017 session.
According to the representative, the legal division at DHH will take the lead, and that the group will have to meet by September 1.
The Resolution was authored by Senator Fred Mills, and it called for a “Task Force on Meaningful Oversight” to be created to deal with the fact that the boards operate autonomously from the department with “virtually no detectable oversight; …” According to a discussion at the psychology board, Dr. Darla Burnett, current Chair, appears to be the designated representative.
Senator Mills’ measure states that the Supreme Court decision hinged on the issue that boards “cannot invoke state-action antitrust immunity if they are not subject to active supervision by the state,” when it comes to professions pursuing self-interests or restraining trade, from the power of their positions on boards, which are typically filled by “active market participants” in that profession.
The measure also stems from Senator Mills’ observations about problems with the boards and where citizens have nowhere to go when they feel harassed or treated unfairly.
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