Changes coming to health care, phone tax

Good changes are in store for the nation's public health system, but it may take perserverance to achieve them, county health officials said Tuesday.

Health and Human Services Director Judy Bright and department supervisors went over some of the probable outcomes with county commissioners.

In other business, the commission scheduled a public hearing on a change to the county's Enhanced 9-1-1 ordinance that would increase the tax on phones from 50 cents to 70 cents. A public hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. on October 19.

Before the public health system can take advantage of the improvements that are supposed to come out of the 2010 National Health Reform, there is a storm to weather, Bright said.

The state Department of Health is preparing a 6.5 percent across the board cut in services, she said, because of the economic downturn's impact on state revenues. Services that will be cut include the health department's maternity support--115 people served this year--and the oral health program.

"We have no hard numbers, but we're expecting a 6-10 percent reduction from the Department of Health," she said.

The nation spends a lot on health care but has poor outcomes, Bright said. America leads the world in medical spending but an American's life expectancy is not even among the top 25 countries in the world.

The national health care reform will focus more attention on prevention of disease, she said. Roles of agencies and service providers will change.

One emphasis will be integrating of health services, and the roles of community clinics, such as the Cowlitz Family Health Center in Cathlamet, will expand.

US citizens and legal residents will be required to have health insurance, she said, and undocumented people will be a safety net issue in many counties.

"I don't have a clear picture of how we'll get there, but we'll see big changes in the future," she said.

Mental Health coordinator Chris Holmes added that the county programs have already been working to be as flexible as possible and work with other agencies as much as possible, and this could help with staffing.

"It all makes sense; just, getting there will be difficult," Bright said. "That's why we're appealing to the Department of Health to keep funds as flexible as can be."

The Enhanced 9-1-1 ordinance update takes into account recent changes in law, said Wahkiakum County Chief Civil Deputy Joannie Bjorge.

Counties and municipalities have been assessing a 50 cent monthly tax on phones to finance 9-1-1 dispatching. New state law requires counties to assess the maximum tax, 70 cents per line, in order to receive state Enhanced 9-1-1 funding.

The new law also extends the tax to cell phones and phone communication using Internet protocols.

The new tax would take effect January 1, 2011.