Wachtmann listens to health care concerns

GLANDORF - An unfunded mandate is how representatives from Premier Health Care Service Inc. characterized the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act requiring all patients at emergency rooms to be examined without regard to the patient's ability to pay.

Those representatives also wanted to discuss the assignment-of-benefits insurance issue when they met Tuesday with state Rep. Lynn Wachtmann, R-Napoleon, chairman of the Ohio House of Representatives Health Committee. They urged the lawmaker to support legislation that would require payments be sent to the provider of the service and not the patient.

Wachtmann was in Glandorf touring the Emergency Department of St. Rita's Putnam County Ambulatory Care Center. The purpose of the tour was to discuss Ohio's health care climate and the ways in which Ohio's health care reform initiatives will affect emergency physicians and emergency departments.

"There are not enough emergency physicians in the country," said Dr. Steve Huffman, medical director of the Putnam County Ambulatory Care Center emergency room. He works with Premier, which provides emergency room physicians for St. Rita's facilities.

Humphrey said when an emergency room physician does not have a contract with an insurance company, the insurance company can send the check to the patient. He said it was important to change this so the insurance company sends the check to the provider of the service.

Other issues were discussed including the effectiveness of tort reform and the need for physician assistants and nurse practitioners.

Dr. John Lyman, chief clinical officer of Premier, told Wachtmann that tort reforms have reduced lawsuits significantly in the past four or five years. He commended Wachtmann for his support of tort reform and other health issues.

"You do have your ground to the ear of the constituents," said Walter Kinsey, vice president of patient experience at St. Rita's Medical Center, Lima. "We appreciate all you have done for us since you took office."