Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Committee Organization topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate study committee on health benefit plans elects Sen. Walter Michelle as chair, names Rep. Sam Creekmore vice chair
Summary
At its organizational meeting the Senate‑created study committee on health benefit plans elected leadership, approved contingency funding for per diems and mileage, set a meeting schedule and requested members submit topics and expert suggestions for upcoming hearings.
Sen. Walter Michelle, chair of the Senate Insurance Committee, was elected chair of the legislature’s newly formed study committee on health benefit plans and health care services during an organizational meeting that also approved contingency funds to cover committee per diems, mileage and meeting expenses.
"Please fill that out and hand it in to me at the end of the meeting," Sen. Walter Michelle told members, asking them to submit suggested future topics and recommended experts so the committee can plan its work over the next three to four months. The committee set its next meeting for Sept. 11, 2025, at 10 a.m.
Rep. Jerry Turner nominated Michelle to chair the study group; the nomination was seconded and approved by voice vote with no recorded opposition. Turner then nominated Rep. Sam Creekmore as vice chair; Creekmore was approved by voice vote. The committee also approved use of House and Senate contingency funds to pay per diems, mileage and other expenses necessary to carry out the committee’s work.
The study committee was created by Senate Bill 2402 and is charged with reviewing certificates of health benefit plans and insurers, including health care delivery, finance and solvency, and must file a report of findings and recommendations with the clerk of the House by Dec. 1, 2025. Committee leadership said they expect to hold three to four meetings over the coming four months to collect testimony and data.
Members emphasized the need to populate the committee with representatives from across the health‑care sector; the chair noted three vacancies that remain unfilled, including a health plan CEO and a hospital or ambulatory surgery administrator, and urged the governor’s office to complete those appointments before the next meeting.
The meeting record shows the committee opened with introductions from appointed members and department staff and then transitioned to presentations and a discussion of topics the panel will study. The chair closed the session after asking members to submit topic lists and confirming logistics for future meetings.
