2018 WYOPAC Candidate Survey Question Title * 1. What is your name and Candidate Committee name? First and Last Name: Candidate Committee: House/Senate District: Preferred Email: Question Title * 2. What is the role of state government in healthcare issues in Wyoming? Describe your top three priorities for improving the healthcare delivery system in the state? 1. 2. 3. Question Title * 3. Wyoming's tobacco tax rate of $.60 per pack ranks 8th lowest in the nation. The national average is $1.72 per pack. Given the state's declining revenue and Wyoming's low tobacco tax, is increasing the tobacco tax a subject you feel worthy of consideration in the coming biennium? If you do support the tax increase is it primarily based in an interest to generate state revenue or as a method to de-incentivize tobacco use, or both? Yes I support increasing the tobacco tax. No, I do not support increasing the tobacco tax Please Explain Question Title * 4. Physicians in Wyoming are required to attend continuing medical education (CME) to maintain their licensure in the State. Many physicians are now also taking part in maintenance of certification (MOC) programs to maintain board certification. MOC programs include more stringent continuing education requirements often at a higher cost, and generally involve high-stakes testing in order to maintain certifications. Wyoming physicians support continuing education requirements, but oppose mandates to maintain board certification. Do you support tying a physician’s employment, reimbursement, or licensure to their participation in MOC activities? Yes, physician board certification should be allowed to be tied to state licensure, employment, hospital privileging, and/or reimbursement. No, physician board certification should not be allowed to be tied to state licensure, employment, hospital privileging, and/or reimbursement. Please explain. Question Title * 5. With 32 percent of Wyoming’s population being covered by public payers (Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, Federal programs, etc), and current projected budget shortfalls, how would you prioritize reimbursement to physicians? Please explain. Question Title * 6. WMS supports physician-led healthcare teams with each licensed provider practicing at the top of their scope. Do you support licensed healthcare professionals expanding their scope of practice or increasing the specific tasks they can perform, such as psychologists prescribing or optometrists performing eye surgery, through rule making or legislation without proof of adequate expanded education, training and curriculum changes? Yes, healthcare providers should be able to expand the scope of their practice through rule making and legislative changes. No, healthcare providers should only expand scope of practice when done through increased education, curriculum changes in training programs and stringent testing to determine proficiency. Please explain Question Title * 7. The demand for mental health services in Wyoming is on the rise with involuntary hospitalizations increasing at alarming rates. Suicide also remains a concern with Wyoming ranking as the fourth-highest state in the nation. Between the increase in demand for state mental health services and recent overages in the state budget for Title 25 costs, what do you believe can be done to positively impact these trends? Question Title * 8. Would you support legislation to resolve the professional liability crisis in Wyoming? Specifically, would you support a cap on non-economic damages? Would you support other remedies such as adoption of the English rule, no-fault medical liability insurance or other such reforms? Agree Disagree I support capping non-economic damages I support capping non-economic damages Agree I support capping non-economic damages Disagree I do not support capping non-economic damages I do not support capping non-economic damages Agree I do not support capping non-economic damages Disagree I support investigating all avenues to bringing meaningful liability reform to the state including capping non-economic damages. I support investigating all avenues to bringing meaningful liability reform to the state including capping non-economic damages. Agree I support investigating all avenues to bringing meaningful liability reform to the state including capping non-economic damages. Disagree I support investigating alternative means to achieving liability reform but do not support capping non-economic damages. I support investigating alternative means to achieving liability reform but do not support capping non-economic damages. Agree I support investigating alternative means to achieving liability reform but do not support capping non-economic damages. Disagree I do not support any efforts to bring liability reform to the state as I do not see there is a current need or crisis. I do not support any efforts to bring liability reform to the state as I do not see there is a current need or crisis. Agree I do not support any efforts to bring liability reform to the state as I do not see there is a current need or crisis. Disagree Please explain Question Title * 9. WMS advocates for physicians to practice evidence-based medicine grounded in the latest research and safety standards. WMS opposes any legislation that attempts to unnecessarily insert government within the relationship between physicians and their patients as it hinders the ability for doctors to administer the most recent, evidence based, practices in medicine. Do you oppose legislation that unnecessarily inserts government between a physician and a patient? Yes, I oppose state legislation that inserts government between a physician and a patient. No, I think that state government has a strong role to play in guiding how physicians practice medicine and how they care for Wyoming patients. Please explain Question Title * 10. Do you support expanding Medicaid to provide state-based insurance to uninsured Wyomingites for 10% of the cost to the State of Wyoming? Yes No Please explain Question Title * 11. Please send me additional information about the following topics: Question Title * 12. Does your candidate committee accept Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions? WMS reserves the right to administer survey results to WMS and WYOPAC members across the state for education and information purposes. WMS staff are happy to discuss any of the above issues and provide additional information. Feel free to contact WMS Executive Director Sheila Bush at 307-635-2424 or info@wyomed.org. Paid for and authorized by Wyoming Medical PAC (WYOPAC), not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee. Done
