MN Task Force Tackles Health Care
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DULUTH - Gov. Mark Dayton's Health Care Reform Task Force tackled issues with Minnesota’s healthcare.
Health care professionals, representatives and community members met at the University of Minnesota Duluth to discuss some health care problems facing the state.
The task force has met every month since November 2011, but task force members say because of the health care reform act this one will be different.
"Now with the affordable act it gives us some new opportunities,” Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Ed Echlinger said.
The Health Care Reform task force will look at recommendations gathered from the last several months from focus groups, health care providers and citizens regarding the state's healthcare.
"Looking at how do we improve quality, how do we reduce costs and improve population health?" said Echlinger.
On the agenda was how to have more healthcare coverage and more healthcare for Minnesotans.
"We have 9 percent of our population that doesn't have health insurance,” Minnesota State Department of Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson said. “We'll be looking at recommendations about how to expand access to healthcare which is obviously a very important part of the Affordable Care Act."
The other topic up for discussion was expanding the state's medical workforce.
"We know that we're going to need more long term care workers in our state,” said Jesson. “How do we get there?”
"What kind of providers do we need in our community?” said Ehlinger.”How can we enhance primary care?"
The task force will finalize or send back some of the recommendations for more information or refinement.
All of the policy recommendations will be presented to the governor and legislature in November.
