This post is sponsored by UST Health Care.
By Rachael Barton
Despite the threat of Congress further changing the rules of our healthcare system and a 16-day shutdown of the federal government, leaders across Minnesota and the Midwest have been working to increase the accessibility to insurance while improving patient care and reducing costs. So, instead of focusing on the political bloviating in Washington, let’s turn our attention to the opportunities being developed right here in Minnesota, where improvements have already changed the way patients receive new healthcare benefits. Daniel McLaughlin, M.H.A, Director of the University of St. Thomas (UST) Center for Health and Medical Affairs, shared his insight into the progressive nature of our evolving local healthcare models.
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MNsure, Minnesota’s insurance marketplace that launched October 1, has begun to improve current benefits and coverage options for many, while expanding the opportunity for first-time health insurance coverage to many uninsured Minnesotans. The insurance marketplace is revolutionary in itself, but as McLaughlin notes further, the truly exciting implications of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act come with the introduction of shared savings and tax incentives for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). The legislation is designed to promote high quality preventative care and save on costly medical procedures within partnered healthcare providers that operate within the organizational model.
In Minnesota, Allina Health and Fairview Health Services are among the 32 organizations involved in the Pioneer ACO program in partnership with the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation. Pilot programs like the Pioneer ACO develop innovative business plans to optimize patient care. While there are many challenges and objections to the Affordable Care Act, it has created a set of boundaries for healthcare organizations to act within. McLaughlin notes that organizations have a new opportunity to thrive because everybody knows the rules of the game. With this in mind, the outlook for our healthcare models is optimistic.
Many of the leaders responsible for developing creative approaches to tackling the latest healthcare concerns and new regulations will be in attendance at the University of St. Thomas Executive Education’s 6th Annual UST Executive Conference on the Future of Health Care on November 8. At the conference, forward-thinking panelists and speakers from across the nation will share their expertise and honest outlooks with local executives looking to change the way we do healthcare.
For more from the UST Center for Health & Medical Affairs, visit High Performance Health Care.
