Sunday, January 13, 2008

Minnesota - Two panels will propose big shifts in state health care

Two panels will propose big shifts in state health care
The link is to the story (mentions WI proposal) and here's a summary of what again is a proposal to give insurance to all -- much of the suggestions are unproven and not likely to save money unless the red tape of screening applicants and processing insurance bills is dealt with.

CHANGING MINNESOTA'S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

Key proposals emerging from Gov. Tim Pawlenty's Health Care Task Force and the Legislature's Health Care Access Commission:

• Spreading insurance to all Minnesotans by 2011.

• Designating a "medical home" for people with chronic conditions such as diabetes to coordinate care and promote prevention to improve care and drive down costs.

• Paying providers to prevent illness, rather than by office visit, test or procedure.

• Creating programs to reduce smoking, obesity, alcohol abuse and drug addiction to drive down costs from associated health problems.

• Requiring providers to set a single fee that individuals would pay for the same service, no longer negotiating different prices with different insurance companies.

• Giving patients ways to easily compare costs and quality of competing providers.

• Ensuring that patients could stay with their chosen health providers, even if they change jobs or health insurers, and could move their health insurance from job to job.

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