GLHF Tracking Report
Last Updated Apr. 21, 2008
© 2008 The Hamilton Consulting Group

Links*	Summary/Status
Assembly Bills
AB 894 Davis History	Income and Franchise Tax Credits Summary: Creates an income and franchise tax credit for employers who create certain health care benefit plans (known as “cafeteria plans” under federal law) for their employees. Status: Introduced on Feb. 28, 2008; Referred to Health and Healthcare Reform; Passage recommended (10-3) Mar. 10; Passed the Assembly Mar. 12; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 872 Vukmir History	Disclosure of Information/Acceptance of Payment Summary: Restricts payment that a health care provider may accept from certain patients who are uninsured; if a patient is recommended, referred for service, or prescribed a health care service, diagnostic test, or procedure for which the charge exceeds $500, the health care provider must provide an estimate of the charge to the patient. Status: Introduced on Feb. 25, 2008; Referred to Health and Healthcare Reform; Passage as amended recommended (9-4) Feb. 28; Passed the Assembly (66-29) Mar. 5; Referred to the Senate committee on Health and Human Services; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 860 Pocan History	Drug Program Enrollment Summary: Prohibits the imposition of enrollment fee during the remainder of 2008 and for all of 2009 and 2010. Status: Introduced on Feb. 21, 2008; Referred to Insurance; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 793 Moulton History	Health Care Records Summary: Eliminates current restrictions on redisclosure of a patient health care record that is obtained under one of the exceptions to the requirements of confidentiality. Status: Introduced on Feb. 11, 2008; Referred to Public Health; Public hearing Feb. 13; Passage recommended (7-1) Feb. 21; Laid on the table Mar. 5; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 779 Hixson History	Student Health Benefits Summary: Authorizes organization of student health benefit purchasing cooperatives to provide health care benefits to student members under one group health care policy or plan through a three−year contract with an insurer. Status: Introduced on Feb. 8, 2008; Referred to Insurance; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 738 Hilgenberg History	Catastrophic Care Authority Summary: Creates CCA to study options and develop recommendations for implementing a reinsurance program in the state for catastrophic claims under group or individual health insurance policies. Status: Introduced on Jan. 29, 2008; Referred to Insurance; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 729 Wieckert History	Health Care Costs Summary: Requires health care providers to provide consumers with certain charge or payment rate information, upon request by and at no cost to the consumers; the information must be updated annually and may not be construed as a legally binding estimate. Status: Introduced on Jan. 24, 2008; Referred to Small Business; Public hearing Feb. 12; Passage as amended recommended (9-0) Feb. 25; Referred to Rules; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 713 Wasserman History	Prescription Drugs Summary: Provides that the Unfair Sales Act does not apply to sales of prescription drugs and deletes the current prohibition on below−cost sales of prescription drugs. Status: Introduced on Jan. 22, 2008; Referred to Health and Healthcare Reform; Public hearing Feb. 5; Passage recommended (11-2) Mar. 13; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 570 Wieckert History	Anatomical Gifts (Companion to SB 310) Summary: Makes changes to anatomical gift law based on the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act of 2006 promulgated by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. Status: Introduced on Nov. 6, 2007; Referred to Health and Healthcare Reform; Public hearing Nov. 20; Passage recommended (13-0) Jan. 24, 2008; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 539 Wis. Act 103 Parisi History	Blood Donations by 16-year-olds Summary:  Provides that a 16−year−old may donate blood in a voluntary and noncompensatory blood program if his or her parent consents to the donation. Status: Introduced Oct. 16, 2007; Referred to committee on Public Health;  Public hearing Dec. 5; Passage recommended (9-0) Dec. 14; Passed the Assembly as amended Jan. 23; Referred to Senate committee on Health, Human Services, Insurance, and Job Creation; Taken up by the Senate and passed Jan. 31; Signed by the Governor Mar. 14 as 2007 Wis. Act 103.
AB 445 Lasee History	Changes to HIRSP (Companion to SB 226) Summary: Makes changes in HIRSP with respect to payments and coverage. Status: Introduced on July 3, 2007; Referred to Insurance; Public hearing held Sept. 11; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 419 Schneider History	Preexisting Conditions Summary: Prohibits a group insurer from denying coverage to s specific individual. Status: Introduced on June 21, 2007; Referred to Insurance; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 394 Nygren History	HIRSP (Companion to SB 206) Summary: Requires HIRSP to offer to eligible persons who are not eligible for Medicare an additional option of coverage under a high deductible health plan. Status: Introduced on June 7, 2007; Referred to Insurance; Public hearing Sept. 11; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 392 Hraychuck History	State Health Care Plans for Small Employers Summary: Provides that certain small employers may elect to have coverage under any health care coverage plan offered to state employees. Status: Introduced on June 7, 2007; Referred to Insurance; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 280 Wis. Act 36 Nygren History	Medical Leave - Companion to SB 154 Summary: Every health insurance policy that provides dependent coverage for a full−time student must continue to provide coverage if he or she ceases to be a full−time student because of a medically necessary leave of absence. Status: Introduced on Apr. 23, 2007; Referred to Insurance; Passage recommended (12-0) July 19; Passed the Assembly as amended Oct. 24; Referred to committee on Health, Human Services, Insurance, and Job Creation; Passed the Senate Nov. 8; Signed by the Governor Nov. 28, 2007 as 2007 Wis. Act 36.
AB 263 Wieckert History	Volunteer Health Care Providers Summary: This bill provides status as state agents of DHFS to volunteer health care providers who provide services under the VHCPP, regardless of whether the health care provider has medical malpractice insurance coverage that would extend to the provision of the services. Status: Introduced on Mar. 27, 2007; Referred to Public Health; Public hearing held May 23; Passed the Assembly as amended (96-0) Nov. 6; Referred to committee on Health, Human Services, Insurance, and Job Creation; Failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 258 Nygren History	Health Care Benefits Summary: This bill specifies that it is not employment discrimination based on use or nonuse of a lawful product off the employer’s premises during nonworking hours for an employer to offer financial incentives related to employee health care benefits that are intended to encourage or discourage use of a lawful product. Status: Introduced on Apr. 10, 2007; Referred to Insurance; Public hearing held April 18; Passage recommended (11-0) June 14; Passed the Assembly Oct. 31; Failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 235 Moulton History	Workplace Wellness Summary: Creates an income and franchise tax credit for workplace wellness programs. Status: Introduced on Apr. 10, 2007; Referred to Small Business; Public hearing held May 22; Passage recommended as amended (8-0) June 21; Referred to Finance; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 204 Sherman History	Prescription Drugs Summary: Prohibits advertising for prescription drugs. Does not apply to an advertisement that is broadcast from or is mailed or shipped to the ultimate recipient of the advertisement from outside this state or to advertising sent directly to pharmacists or to practitioners who are authorized to prescribe prescription drugs.. Status: Introduced on Mar. 19, 2007; Referred to Health and Healthcare Reform; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 150 Musser History	Prescription Drugs Summary: Prohibits a pharmacist from substituting a drug product equivalent, if the drug is for treating epilepsy or convulsions, without obtaining consent of the prescribing practitioner and the patient or the patient’s parent, spouse, or legal guardian. Status: Introduced on Mar. 5, 2007; Referred to Health and Healthcare Reform; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 94 Benedict History	Universal Coverage (Companion to SB 51) Summary: This bill establishes a health plan for Wisconsin residents to receive reasonable medical services necessary to maintain health, enable diagnosis, and provide treatment or rehabilitation for an injury, disability, or disease. Status: Introduced on Feb. 22, 2007; Referred to Health and Healthcare Reform; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 71 Benedict History	Health Care Charges Summary: Requires that patients be notified of health care facility use charges before a physician office visit; the facility use charge must be billed separately from the physician’s service charge. Status: Introduced on Feb. 13, 2007; Referred to Health and Healthcare Reform; Passed the Assembly as amended Mar. 5; Referred to Health, Human services, Insurance, and Job Creation; Failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 47 Kaufert History	Health Savings Accounts (Companion to SB 18) Summary: Individuals who make contributions to health savings accounts may claim a nonrefundable income tax credit for 6.5 percent of the allowable amount or 6.5 percent of the federal tax-exempt earnings relating to an HSA, or both. Status: Introduced on Jan. 30, 2007; Referred to Health and Healthcare Reform; Passage recommended Feb. 28, 2008; Passed the Assembly Mar. 5; Referred to Health, Human services, Insurance, and Job Creation; Failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 16 Schneider History	Prescription Drugs Summary: Requires health insurance policies and plans that cover prescription drugs to cover prescribed drugs for the treatment of a rare disease or condition. Status: Introduced on Jan. 12, 2007; Referred to Health and Healthcare Reform; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
AB 12 Schneider History	Prescription Drug Manufacturers or Distributors Summary: Prohibits a manufacturer or distributor of prescription drugs from giving, or offering to give, anything of monetary value to any practitioner to encourage the practitioner to issue prescriptions for that manufacturer’s drugs; does not apply to a relative of that manufacturer or to product samples given by a manufacturer to a practitioner for delivery to a patient. Status: Introduced on Jan. 12, 2007; Referred to Consumer Protection and Personal Privacy; Public hearing held March 20; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
	Senate Bills
SB 562 Erpenbach History	Healthy Wisconsin Plan Summary: Establishes the health Wisconsin Plan and the Healthy Wisconsin Authority. Status: Introduced Mar. 5, 2008; Referred to Health, Human Services, Insurance, and Job Creation; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
SB 518 Erpenbach History	BadgerCare Plus Summary: Makes changes to BadgerCare Plus. Status: Introduced Feb. 15, 2008; Referred to Health, Human Services, Insurance, and Job Creation; Public hearing Feb. 27; Passage recommended (5-2) Mar. 5; Passed the Senate Mar. 11; Referred to Assembly committee on Health and Healthcare Reform; Failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
SB 490 Breske History	Hospital Assessments Summary: Eliminates assessment on the gross private patient revenue of hospitals, creates assessment on the gross patient revenue of hospitals, creates a hospital assessment trust fund, increases Medical Assistance and Badger Care payment rate for hospitals, requires monthly payments by HMOs to hospitals and reconciliation of payments with actual utilization of services, increases supplemental Medical Assistance payments to rural hospitals, and transfers moneys from the hospital assessment fund to the injured patients and families compensation fund. Status: Introduced Feb. 15, 2008; Referred to Health, Human Services, Insurance, and Job Creation; Public hearing Feb. 27; Passage recommended (4-2) Mar. 6; Referred to Joint Finance; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
SB 487 Wis. Act 108 Erpenbach History	Health Care Records (Companion to AB 793) Summary: Eliminates current restrictions on redisclosure of a patient health care record that is obtained under one of the exceptions to the requirements of confidentiality. Status: Introduced Feb. 13, 2008; Referred to Health, Human Services, Insurance, and Job Creation; Public hearing Feb. 20; Passage recommended (7-0) Feb. 28; Passed the Senate Mar. 4; Passed the Assembly Mar. 5; Signed by the Governor on Mar. 17, 2008 as 2007 Wis. Act 108.
SB 337 Sullivan History	Health Care Costs Summary: Requires health care providers to provide consumers with certain charge or payment rate information, upon request by and at no cost to the consumers; the information must be updated annually and may not be construed as a legally binding estimate. Status: Introduced Nov. 2, 2007; Referred to Health, Human Services, Insurance, and Job Creation; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
SB 310 Wis. Act 106 Risser History	Anatomical Gifts (Companion to AB 570) Summary: Makes changes to anatomical gift law based on the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act of 2006 promulgated by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. Status: Introduced Nov. 2, 2007; Referred to Health, Human Services, Insurance, and Job Creation; Passage as amended recommended (6-1) Dec. 7; Passed the Senate Jan. 15, 2008; Referred to Health and healthcare Reform; Concurrence recommended (13-0) Jan. 24; Passed the Assembly Jan. 28; Signed by the Governor on Mar. 17, 2008 as 2007 Wis. Act 106.
SB 287 Risser History	Blood Donations by 16-year-olds Summary:  Provides that a 16−year−old may donate blood in in a voluntary and noncompensatory blood program if his or her parent consents to the donation. Status: Introduced Oct. 10, 2007. Referred to committee on Health and Human Services; Public hearing Jan. 17, 2008; Passage recommended (7-0) Jan. 25; Laid on the table Jan. 31; Dead pursuant to SJR1.
SB 226 Wis. Act 39 Breske History	HIRSP (Companion to AB 445) Summary: Makes changes in HIRSP with respect to payments and coverage. Status: Introduced July 9, 2007; Referred to Transportation, Tourism and Insurance; Public hearing Aug. 15; Passage recommended (7-0) Sept. 6; Passed by the Senate as amended Oct. 30; Passed by the Assembly Nov. 6; Signed by the Governor on Dec. 11 as 2007 Wis. Act 39.
SB 206 Harsdorf History	HIRSP (Companion to AB 394) Summary: Requires HIRSP to offer to eligible persons who are not eligible for Medicare an additional option of coverage under a high deductible health plan. Status: Introduced June 6, 2007; Referred to Transportation, Tourism and Insurance; Rereferred to committee on Transportation and Tourism Nov. 6; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
SB 156 Lehman History	Anatomical Gifts Summary: This bill prohibits a donor’s family member, guardian, agent under a health care power of attorney or a financial power of attorney, or the personal representative for his or her estate from refusing to honor the donor’s document of gift or seeking to avoid honoring the donor’s document of gift. Status: Introduced on Apr. 19, 2007; Referred to Judiciary and Corrections; Public hearing held July 11; Passage recommended Jan. 7, 2008; Passed the Senate Jan. 15; Referred to Judiciary and Ethics; Failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
SB 154 Roessler History	Medical Leave (Companion to AB 280) Summary: Under this bill, every health insurance policy, that provides dependent coverage for a full−time student must continue to provide coverage if he or she ceases to be a full−time student because of a medically necessary leave of absence. Status: Introduced on Apr. 23, 2007; Referred to Transportation, Tourism and Insurance; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
SB 147 Roessler History	Disease Management Summary: This bill requires that a physical health risk assessment be performed for every individual who is eligible for MA or for Badger Care. Status: Introduced April 13, 2007; Referred to committee on Health and Human Services; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
SB 51 Miller History	Universal Coverage (Companion to AB 94) Summary: This bill establishes a health plan for Wisconsin residents to receive reasonable medical services necessary to maintain health, enable diagnosis, and provide treatment or rehabilitation for an injury, disability, or disease. Status: Introduced Feb. 20, 2007; Referred to Health and Human Services; Public hearing held Mar. 8; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
SB 48 Robson History	Volunteer Health Care Providers Summary: Expands the types of volunteer health care providers who may provide services under the VHCPP and have status as state agents of DHFS, to include licensed pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Status: Introduced on Feb. 19, 2007; Referred to Health and Human Services; Public hearing held Mar. 14; Passage recommended by committee (6-0); Passed in Senate April 17; Sent to Assembly committee Public Health; Public hearing held May 8; Concurrence recommended (9-0) May 29; Passed the Assembly Mar. 12, 2008; Signed by the Governor Mar. 28, 2008 as 2007 Wis. Act 201.
SB 18 Darling History	Health Savings Accounts (Companion to AB 47) Summary: Individuals who make contributions to health savings accounts may claim a nonrefundable income tax credit for 6.5 percent of the allowable amount or 6.5 percent of the federal tax-exempt earnings relating to an HSA, or both. Status: Introduced Jan. 30, 2007; Referred to Health and Human Services; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
SJR 1 Committee on Legislative Organization History	2007 - 2008 Session Summary: Session schedule for the 2007-2008 biennial session period. Status: Introduced Jan. 3, 2007 . Passed the Senate and the Assembly.