State to Partner with Health Providers to Deliver Better Care at a Lower Cost

Governor Mark Dayton announced today a new reform initiative that will provide better health care for 100,000 Minnesotans and lower costs for taxpayers. In an effort to further improve the state’s Medicaid program, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is partnering with six health care providers to test a new payment model that prioritizes quality, preventive care and rewards providers for achieving mutually-agreed upon health goals. (more…)

Medicaid Program Expansion

CHA has recently provided some resources with regard to the expansion of medicaid.  In Minnesota, this has been a primary emphasis of our Governor and will be discussed this legislative session with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). CHA-Minnesota continues to work with the department and legislators on this topic.

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MN Bishops Address POLST

The Minnesota Catholic Conference has recently issued a Pastoral Statement on Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST). 

Visit here to read the complete statement.

Governor Dayton’s Budget Proposal – Health Care Reform

The state budget plan released by Gov. Mark Dayton yesterday seeks to end  the cycle of deficits and put the state on a firmer financial foundation.  We’re just starting to dig into the details of the budget and will talk  about taxes and other issues in future blog posts. Today, we’ll focus on health care reform.

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Hospital Administator of Two Decades Dies

Sister Marie de Paul Rochester was the last in a long line of sisters to run St. Joseph’s Hospital, a St. Paul institution that stands as Minnesota’s oldest medical center.  But the woman who served as a hospital administrator for nearly two decades also had a sense of humor.  The endless meetings that a hospital chief must attend could be dubbed “the new asceticism,” she told the Pioneer Press in 1978. Of the two men who jointly succeeded her as administrator, she joked: “I say it takes two men to replace one woman.”

Sister Rochester of St. Paul died Wednesday, Dec. 26, at age 99.

Read more.

 

Health Reform Task Force Approves Roadmap to a Healthier Minnesota

The Minnesota Health Reform Task Force approved the Roadmap to a Healthier Minnesota Thursday, December 13. The roadmap is a set of recommendations designed to transform Minnesota’s health system in order to get more health for the dollar.

The report outlines eight strategies for policymakers to consider as they work to implement federal and state health reforms, including recommendations regarding increased access, care integration and payment reform, prevention and public health and preparing the Minnesota health workforce of the future. (more…)

State Budget Forecasts

Recent state budget forecasts in Minneosta present no great surprise in human services spending.  Growth in the spending was pretty much what was predicted.  The forecast reports that overall our economic is still sluggish and has not returned to pre-2008 levels.

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The Election is Over, But the Work is Not

Sr. Carol Keehan, CHA president and chief executive officer, provides the following post-election commentary:

With the election behind us, we now must focus on some very important issues for our communities and our country. Most obvious is that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will continue being implemented. So far, it has made wonderful gains for those who had insurance including Medicare patients. Insurance coverage has been made more comprehensive, more secure and more affordable. Medicare is covering more preventive services without co-pays, closing the donut hole and the solvency of the program has been extended.

This coming year, we have the opportunity to put in place wonderful new programs designed to give insurance coverage and access to health care to 30 million to 32 million Americans who lack it now. The Affordable Care Act will do this with the expansion of Medicaid and insurance exchanges. This is the year that in each community we serve, we must work to assure these programs are in place, are accessible and are a success.

In some states, the health insurance exchanges are well on their way to implementation. CHA has been working with several partners in the coalition called Enroll America to develop tool kits for states to use to make this process simple, clear and easy to enroll in. We know that during the very polarized election cycle, a number of states have said they would not participate in exchanges or expanded Medicaid. Already several have said they are rethinking that decision. States that do not develop state exchanges will have federal ones operative in their state.

The Medicaid expansion has met some of the same opposition even though it is 100 percent federally funded the first couple of years and then funded at 90 percent. Again, we are hearing some states are rethinking that, and we must work to get all states on board.

The people who have been waiting so long for insurance are the main reason we must urge states to implement the exchanges and expanded Medicaid. This is the opportunity to make a huge difference in their lives. It is one that we, along with many others, including our Church, have worked for decades to achieve. Getting insurance for 32 million of the 48 million uninsured is such an important and life-changing accomplishment.

We also know that we are responsible for the health of our ministries, and we accepted significant decreases in reimbursement to achieve this gain for the people in our communities. Those decreases are to be offset by many more patients with insurance. The fiscal health of our business communities is also significantly impacted by having such a large percentage of uninsured now covered and avoiding the significant cross-subsidization of their health care costs.

As we embark on this, we also recognize that our country has many other challenges. We must continue the progress out of recession, deal with the sequestration question and as Catholics we have a special concern to achieve resolution of the mandate issue. Negotiating all of these fairly will take good will and patience. CHA will work with our members, our elected leaders and our bishops as we work through these issues. We must work together for solutions that are fair and do not threaten the most vulnerable.

Let us work together to put the partisan and uncivil discourse that characterized our election cycle behind us and unite to work for a health care system that serves our country so much better. We are the ones with the health care expertise and commitment, and we owe leadership on this to those we serve.

New DFL Leadership in House and Senate

A hurricane blew through the Minnesota State Capitol on election night! The Democrats swept both chambers in the Legislature and now have control of the State House, Senate and the Governor’s office.  (more…)

USCCB Responds To Inaccurate Statement Of Fact On HHS Mandate Made During Vice Presidential Debate

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued the following statement, October 12. Full text follows:  Last night, the following statement was made during the Vice Presidential debate regarding the decision of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to force virtually all employers to include sterilization and contraception, including drugs that may cause abortion, in the health insurance coverage they provide their employees:

“With regard to the assault on the Catholic Church, let me make it absolutely clear. No religious institution—Catholic or otherwise, including Catholic social services, Georgetown hospital, Mercy hospital, any hospital—none has to either refer contraception, none has to pay for contraception, none has to be a vehicle to get contraception in any insurance policy they provide. That is a fact. That is a fact.” (more…)