SPRINGFIELD - Governor Bruce Rauner took action today on the following bills:

Bill No.: HB 1081

An Act Concerning Transportation

Action: Signed

Effective: Immediate, with the exception of sections 1, 5, and 10, which take effect on July 1, 2016, and section 20, which takes effect on January 1, 2016.

With U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley

Q: Why are you working to advance Medicare reforms for rural hospitals?

A: This past year, I've heard a good deal of feedback from my town meetings in Iowa that acute health care services in rural areas of our state are at risk. A shrinking pool of patients is exposing a funding shortfall that is hurting small town hospitals. Many people who live in small town Iowa would rank the top four most important institutions in their community as the school, the bank, the hospital and their place of worship. Iowa farmers are spending countless hours bringing in the fall harvest.  As too many farm families know, tragic accidents occur around farm machinery, grain bins, tractor roll-overs and power-take-off shafts, when clothing or appendages get caught up in the rotating device.  That's when timing and access to critical health care are especially critical. As the population growth in Iowa continues to migrate toward urban, metropolitan hubs, policymakers need to address how the demographic shift affects services in our rural areas. That includes making sure Medicare recipients in sparsely populated communities aren't left without critical health care services, as an example. That's especially true for emergency medicine. The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that 60 percent of trauma deaths take place in rural areas, where only 15 percent of the population lives. Arguably, distance and response time to the nearest E.R. play a contributing factor to saving lives and limbs.  By not requiring rural hospitals to maintain inpatient care for participation in the Medicare program, my Rural Emergency Acute Care Hospital (REACH) Act would give eligible hometown hospitals a lifeline to help keep their doors open. In addition to providing emergency medicine, they may also expand their purpose and sustainability by converting space for other medical services to serve their community, such as telemedicine, nursing home care, skilled nursing facility care, infusion services, home health and hospice. A more favorable Medicare payment prescription would resuscitate around-the-clock emergency health care services in rural areas of the country and help keep good-paying jobs and vital medical services available close to home.

Q: How would the REACH Act help?

A: The REACH Act recognizes the unique challenges facing health care providers serving rural communities. Access to primary health care services, particularly emergency medicine, is a critical issue of concern for people who live and work in less populated areas of the country. And rural areas, especially in Iowa, have a greater share of older residents who receive health care services paid for by Medicare. Without a doubt, Medicare creates a big footprint across the network of hospitals and health care providers serving 531,209 Iowans. Medicare spends $4.3 billion per year in Iowa and a lion's share of rural health care providers depend on Medicare business to stay in business.  As an outspoken advocate for rural America and a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has legislative jurisdiction and oversight authority of the federal health insurance program for older and disabled citizens, I make it known loud and clear that Medicare needs to measure up to the needs of Iowa taxpayers, beneficiaries and providers. To serve rural residents and modernize Medicare policies to better reflect community needs, I introduced the REACH Act this summer.  It would create new flexibility and fix the payment structure so that reimbursements for rural emergency outpatient health care services are not tied to inpatient volume. Basically, a boost in the reimbursement formula (110 percent of reasonable costs) would help rural providers keep their doors open for business, including ambulance and telehealth services. Specifically, free-standing 24-hour emergency medical care outlets in our rural communities would get higher payment injections to help them pay their bills, make payroll and serve local residents. Individual states would apply for certification to participate. My bill also adds incentives to encourage emergency medical professionals to practice in rural areas. The goal of these changes is a budget-neutral proposal with no additional spending overall.

Q: Which rural hospitals would be eligible to participate under the REACH Act?

A: If adopted, my bill would designate as a rural emergency hospital any facility that is a critical access hospital, or a hospital with at most 50 beds located in a county. In addition, a rural emergency hospital must provide 24-hour emergency medical care. And, the facility does not provide acute care inpatient beds. It also must follow protocols for the timely transfer of patients to appropriate inpatient service providers. My bill would require that Medicare Part B cover rural emergency health care services and the ambulance services to transport patients who require inpatient care to a critical access hospital or full-service hospital. Finally, the facility must receive approval from the state and certification by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Friday, October 23, 2015

The program will include a day of action, break-out sessions, and interactive discussions that examine ways to create coalitions to work on issues like raising family wages, health and education, and civil rights & immigration.

The Nation Magazine contributing writer John Nichols will keynote the summit. Other community, labor, and policy experts will speak during panel discussions and break out sessions, including Pam Jochum, Iowa Senate President, Mike Owen, Iowa Policy Project, Tammy Wawro, ISEA president, Inclusive Dubuque, and others tba.

"We can help to shape the presidential debate for 2016 to focus more on issues related to working families," said Bruce Clark, president of the Dubuque Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. "I want to see broader understanding of the number of issues from raising wages, to supporting families, to protecting civil rights, so that we all understand each other's issues and can support each other."

The summit will run from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Dubuque campus of Northeast Iowa Community College, 700 Main Street Dubuque. More information about the agenda and arrangements will be provided in the coming weeks.

Participants and Sponsors so far include : the Dubuque Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO; Iowa Federation of Labor, AFLCIO; ISEA; NAACP; Inclusive Dubuque; LULAC; Presentation Lantern Center, and others.

The event is free and open to the public and includes lunch. Free handicapped accessible is available in the city ramp less than one block away.

For more information and to Register for the summit, visit our Facebook Page - Working Families Summit: https://www.facebook.com/events/875056282582209/

WHEN: Saturday, November 7, 10 AM - 4 PM
WHERE: Northeast Iowa Community College; 700 Main Street, Dubuque, Iowa
COST: Free and open to the public!

Participants in the program are available for interviews prior to the event. Please contact us to arrange interviews.

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QUAD    CITIES,    Illinois/Iowa    - Oct.    22,    2015    - The    Quad    City    Mallards    opening    games    are    this    weekend,    and    local    tech    startup    company    JumpOnIt   Mobile    Deals    will    be    taking    part    in    the    excitement.    JumpOnIt    Mobile    Deals    is    a    fresh    new    company    based    in    Davenport,    Iowa    that    sends    offers   via    text    message    for local    Quad    Cities    businesses.  

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There's    a    bonus    attached    as    well.    When    a    JumpOnIt    Mobile    Deals    subscriber    receives    their    text    message    offers    (to    their    smartphone),    they    are    able   to    click    on    the    link    within    the    text    message    thread.    The    offer    will    open    in    the    users'    web    browser,    and    from    there    the    offer    can    be    shared   via   text,    Twitter    or    Facebook.    

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JumpOnIt    Mobile    Deals    is    stepping    into    the    local    spotlight    as    they    gain    new    partnerships    with    area    businesses    and    local    sports    teams.    The   relationship    with    the    Quad    City    Mallards    is    not    the    first    area    sports    team    to    partner    with    JumpOnIt    Mobile    Deals.    During    the    summer,    JumpOnIt   Mobile    Deals    had    a    strong    presence    at    the    Quad    City    River    Bandits    games    and    sent    out    several    offers    for    ticket    discounts.    As    the    JumpOnIt   database    grows,    more    and    more    Quad    Cities    residents    continue    to    save    money    and    learn    about    area    events    by    receiving    a    simple    text    message.

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