The federalization of health benefits is unnecessary for most of us, including those of us in Wisconsin. Let's make sure our legislators don't strip the states of the power to manage real health reform.
Here are the facts:
Currently, 98 percent of Wisconsin residents who desire health insurance have access to it through the governor's BadgerCare and BadgerCare Plus programs, employer sponsored insurance, and Medicaid.
Quality data on most physicians and hospitals is available in the state thanks to the Wisconsin Collaborative for Health Care Quality www.wchq.org and The Wisconsin Hospital Association Checkpoint Soon, the Wisconsin Health Information Organization (WHIO) will report resource utilization performance (cost) on physician groups from around the state.
In addition, the governor's e-health board will be transitioned to a new entity, most likely involving a public private multi-stakeholder board, which will over see the implementation of electronic health records and health information exchange for the state.
Finally, both payment reform and improving the efficiency of our care delivery systems is taking shape in Wisconsin. The focus is on reducing cost and improving efficiency through efforts of WHIO and the Department of Health Services.
More Facts:
AHRQ (the government agency that studies and reports on the nation's health care quality) released the health care quality performance data for the nation last month. Wisconsin is back in the number one position for 2008. www.ahrq.gov
Many communities in this state are extremely efficient in Medicare enrollees’ total cost and quality. LaCrosse is half the national average for the yearly cost of a Medicare beneficiary and Appleton, Green Bay, Beloit and Fond du Lac are not far behind.
Wisconsin is not unique in its efforts to provide insurance, quality and cost data, and electronic exchange of information for its residents. Similar work is going on in Minnesota, Massachusetts, Washington State, Vermont and Oregon. The point being that a federal solution to any of these issues is first of all, unnecessary for many of us, and secondly, less effective than what already exists in some cases.
Therefore, it makes sense that the federal government should set expectations for all states with regard to insurance coverage, quality and cost data, as well as health information exchange, including electronic health records. But the federal government should delegate authority to the states to implement these recommendations. Clearly if states don't meet the federal standards, then federalization of any or all of these programs is appropriate.
It's important that the good work that's already gone in to solving many of these issues in this state and other states not be usurped by some inefficient new federal government program.
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