Virginia Commission Considers Possible Health Policy Legislation for Next Session, Focusing on Nursing Homes

Members of Virginia's Joint Commission on Health Care -- the state Legislature's "health policy study group" -- met Nov. 13 to consider a "slew" of proposals for possible introduction in the next state legislative session, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. Hospital deregulation, which the group spent "most of summer 2000 studying," was "[n]oticeably absent" from the discussion, the Times-Dispatch reports. Of the issues discussed by the commission, "quite a few" focused on nursing home issues, including a measure to increase nurse-aide pay, which the group recommended. The commission also reviewed measures to increase Medicaid payments to "certain isolated rural hospitals" and to award dental hygienists more independent practice. All proposals considered by the commission are available online. The commission will be taking public comments on the proposals and will use them to "finalize recommendations" at a Jan. 3 meeting (Smith, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 11/14).