| | Fiscal Note, House Committee Amendment No. 1 (Dept. of Public Health)
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| | The Department of Public Health (IDPH) can only estimate what the cost to implement HB477 (H-AM 1) would be for the Department itself. The Department is unable to estimate the expenses for the Health Facilities and Services Review Board. The construction of a Trauma Center is a very complex and daunting task that requires expertise throughout a lot of different areas. The Department lacks the appropriate consultants, architects, engineers, construction managers, trauma experts, and health care administrative staff to tackle the project of identifying a site, applying for permits, designing, developing, bidding and/or overseeing this type of construction project. Assuming IDPH was required to add even eight (8) professional staff for this project, the salaries and benefit packages would exceed two million dollars. This bill also places a requirement on the Health Facilities and Services Review Board and the Department to identify a provider to oversee the Trauma Center. The cost of operations will be greatly affected depending on the established level of the Trauma Center. Level I Trauma Centers have much higher operational costs and significantly require more physician specialists. There are also inpatient hospital services that must be available in both Level I and Level II Trauma Centers. Without extensive consulting services, there is no reliable way for IDPH to predict start-up costs or ongoing operational or maintenance expenses of which a health care facility would incur. Additionally, there is not time to complete this type of estimate. Long-term effects could be difficult to predict since there is no guarantee of sustainable funding after 2027. Additionally, it might take several years to raise enough money from toll booth charges to fund such an endeavor. The bill requires the Health Facility and Services Review Board in consultation with IDPH to determine the sources of revenue needed to maintain the Trauma Center. If the State agencies failed to find long-term sustainable funding, the newly developed Trauma Center might face financial hardships with detrimental consequences when the funding has been depleted. It is safe to predict that a health care provider might be reluctant to take on contracts without assurance of sustained funding beyond 2027. |
| Date | Chamber | Action |
1/18/2017 | House | Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Thaddeus Jones | 1/20/2017 | House | First Reading | 1/20/2017 | House | Referred to Rules Committee | 2/2/2017 | House | Assigned to Human Services Committee | 3/24/2017 | House | House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Thaddeus Jones | 3/24/2017 | House | House Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee | 3/27/2017 | House | House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Human Services Committee | 3/29/2017 | House | House Committee Amendment No. 1 Adopted in Human Services Committee; by Voice Vote | 3/29/2017 | House | Do Pass as Amended / Standard Debate Human Services Committee; 007-005-000 | 3/29/2017 | House | Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Standard Debate | 4/3/2017 | House | House Committee Amendment No. 1 Fiscal Note Requested as Amended by Rep. Tom Demmer | 4/24/2017 | House | House Committee Amendment No. 1 Fiscal Note Filed as Amended | 4/26/2017 | House | Second Reading - Standard Debate | 4/26/2017 | House | Held on Calendar Order of Second Reading - Standard Debate | 4/28/2017 | House | Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee | 1/8/2019 | House | Session Sine Die |