HFC's executive director participates in legislative retreat

Earlier this month, before state and federal legislators began their 2017 sessions, the entire state legislature met for a one-day retreat to discuss upcoming issues. The One Minnesota Legislative Conference was held at the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs in Minneapolis. Charlie Mandile, Executive Director of HealthFinders Collaborative, was one of four panel members addressing the topic of "Health Care Reform:  New Directions in Washington and Minnesota Challenges."  All Minnesota legislators participated in this bipartisan, off-the-record conference. Other panelists were Steve Gottwalt, executive director of the Minnesota Rural Health Association, as well as Joel Ario and Brett Graham, both Washington D.C.-based consultants providing strategy and analysis to payors, health systems, governments, and other stakeholders to understand and navigate the health reform landscape. The panel was moderated by Professor Larry Jacobs of the Humphrey School. Charlie addressed the importance that organizations like HealthFinders play in providing access for the underserved, and in eliminating health disparities. Other panelists focused on current politics and the mechanics of the insurance market, while Mr. Mandile focused on highlighting issues he sees on the ground in Rice County, and suggested addressing the fundamental causes of cost increases as part of the solution rather than simply insurance reform. “Access to care is one part of the health and wellness equation," he said. "It is easy to focus on this, as insurance is the first and last mile of health care. However, what is driving the math of cost increases and market challenges is much more complex, and often lies beyond the walls of the traditional health care sector.” Panelists suggested innovative ways of distributing risk and cost for the most costly patients, highlighting examples in Alaska among others. “The MNsure market is in crisis, and is not how we originally designed it,” panelists commented, referring to the escalating premiums for the nearly 100,000 Minnesotans purchasing plans through MNsure. After some questions on the potential impacts of the incoming administration and politics of forthcoming reforms, legislators were interested in options. “Regardless of how these changes happen,” Mandile continued, “the public sector has a long track record of innovating to care for populations and maximizing value, and Minnesota has a rich history of such reforms. We would be wise to learn from these ongoing experiments, and incorporate what we are learning to policy moving forward.” Overall, the morning was great exposure for HFC’s unique model, and an opportunity to highlight the work and issues happening in our community.