Email from Tom Lehman, Lobbyist Dated June 13, 2011

Weve received word from a senior Administration official that the Governors shutdown plan will likely include terminating payments to both health plans and health care providers for all government programs effective July 1. This includes PMAP payments as well as MA fee-for-service payments to hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and other providers that serve public program enrollees.

Accompanying June 16 Capitol meeting invitation for health care organizations that will be affected by state payment cessation & talking about apparent intent of shutdown to create the greatest possible pain
and resulting pressure on the Legislature to resolve the dispute.

It appears that the decision may be that, even though eligibility for programs will continue, providers and health plans will not be paid for providing their services and coverage. The intent appears to be to have an immediate, strong impact of the shutdown to create the greatest possible pain and resulting pressure on the Legislature to resolve the dispute. The impact of this will be serious, if not fatal, for some health care provider organizations. Therefore, Im helping to pull together a meeting of providers and payers to try to plan and launch an aggressive media, grassroots and lobbying campaign directed toward legislators who are swing votes in overcoming the deadlock and to maintain as much health care program funding as possible.

There will be a meeting this Thursday, June 16 from 10 -12 in Room 107 of the Capitol of health care organizations that will be affected by a payment cessation. We are asking for data from DHS and other sources to quantify the impact of the vetoed HHS bill by county and hope to be able to share the data at the meeting so that advocacy efforts can be supported by data on the impact on each legislators district. Also, please forward this message to any provider organization that you think would be interested in attending and participating in this effort. Once providers and payers finalize a mesage and strategy, we hope to share that information and plan with advocacy, labor and other organizations who may share our concerns. The recommended agenda for the meeting is: 1. Introductions 2. Share information on your advocacy and media efforts 3. Review data on the impact of the HHS budget bill (bring anything you have) 4. Identify some common key messages that could be used consistently (bring any ideas you have) 5. Develop plans and timeline for coordinated lobbying, communications and grassroots activities to create pressure for a solution that will preserve health care services and funding I will keep you informed of developments as they happen. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Also, attached is a document that you and/or your members may want to look over in preparation for a shutdown. Thank you.

Tom Lehman The Lehman Group 763 377-9167 [phone number redacted]

Finally, please RSVP if you are planning on attending on Thursday.

Photo of Lehman & Dayton from thelehmangroup.com