What States Can Learn From One Another on Health Care (New York Times)
The New York Times discusses state-based policy innovation when it comes to healthcare, noting that “If all states were to improve to the level of top performers, we’d see gains across the country: 20 million more people insured and 14 million fewer skipping care because of cost; 12 million more adults screened for cancer and 500,000 more children vaccinated; 124,000 fewer hospital readmissions and 90,000 fewer premature deaths.”
That said, The Times recommends looking at states that aren’t necessarily at the top right now, but rather those are are making improvements and what they are doing to secure better outcomes for residents. For example, Alaska’s use of the section 1332 waiver to keep premiums low even when there are a number of people with expensive conditions on health care plans. Another example is how California Public Employees’ Retirement System (Calpers) “changed how it paid for common procedures, a move that drastically reduced prices and saved the state millions.” Georgia’s program to reduce infant mortality rates is also cited.
The article closed by saying that “There’s much to learn from state-level innovations, but there are also general principles that apply across states. High-performing states have competitive and accessible insurance markets; strategies for data-sharing and health information technology expansion; more value-based purchasing; greater emphasis on primary care; and strong partnerships with community organizations.”
With a State Innovation Model grant from CMS, Delaware is also focused on improving both the quality of life and the quality of health care for its residents through five concentrated committees emphasizing community health, practice transformation, and the move towards more value-based outcomes. Each committee is comprised of both public and private stakeholders from statewide governments, local health systems, community organizations, insurers, and area employers. For more information please visit us at https://www.dehealthinnovation.org/.
Articles posted do not reflect the views or opinion of DCHI, but are meant to foster meaningful discussion about the opportunities and challenges driving healthcare reform.
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