| | 4. Staff assistance. The Executive Department shall staff | the commission through the Governor's Office of Health Policy and | Finance with assistance from the State Planning Office and the | Department of Human Services. The Attorney General shall provide | all necessary cooperation and assistance to the commission. The | commission shall work in cooperation with the Maine Hospital | Association. |
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| | 5. Report. The commission shall submit a report and any | suggested legislation to the joint standing committee of the | Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services | matters and the joint standing committee of the Legislature | having jurisdiction over insurance and financial services matters | no later than November 1, 2004. |
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| | Sec. G-1. Medicare and veterans' health care. The Governor shall engage in | active negotiations with the Federal Government to increase | access to federally sponsored health services for veterans in | this State and to increase the rates of Medicare reimbursement | for the State's health care providers. |
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| | Sec. G-2. Task Force on Veterans' Health Services. |
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| | 1. Task force established. The Task Force on Veterans' Health | Services, referred to in this section as "the task force," is | established and consists of 13 members as follows: |
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| A. One member of the Senate appointed by the President of | the Senate; |
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| B. One member of the House of Representatives appointed by | the Speaker of the House of the Representatives; |
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| C. Nine members appointed by the Governor: |
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| (1) Three members who are military veterans, including | one military veteran representing the Maine Veterans | Coordinating Committee, one military veteran | representing the Department of Defense, Veterans and | Emergency Management Services, Bureau of Maine | Veterans' Services and one military veteran | representing the Maine Veterans' Homes; |
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| (2) Two members representing state agencies that | provide health care services; and |
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