Maine State Health Plan Released

Press Release

Governor John E. Baldacci today released the 2010-2012 State Health Plan, "Making us Better: Improving Health and Lowering Costs." Maine law requires the Governor to issue a health plan every two years.

"The State Health Plan sets goals to help Maine become the healthiest state with the most efficient and effective health care delivery system," said Governor Baldacci.
"This Plan also lays out a strategy to implement the new National Health Reform for Maine and sets criteria to guide the State's decisions on which investments in technology, new buildings and new services to approve."

The plan documents progress made in Maine since 2003. Maine is now the ninth healthiest state, up from sixteenth in 2003. Maine ranks sixth best in covering the uninsured, up from nineteenth in 2002. While costs remain too high, growth in premium cost for workplace insurance is lower than the national average.

Past State Health Plans documented up to $400 million in potentially avoidable spending in health care, that, if reduced, can help make premiums more affordable.

This year's Plan proposes to reduce health care costs by strengthening public health and prevention, supporting strategies that reduce avoidable hospitalizations and emergency department use and restructuring how we pay for health care in order to reward efficiency and prevention.

The Governor's Office of Health Policy and Finance and a Steering Committee of State officials will develop a roadmap of policy options the State will need to address to implement national health reform.

Said Trish Riley, Director of the Governor's Office of health Policy and Finance, "We have embarked on a public process to assure we all understand the opportunities and challenges presented by national health reform as it meets its goal of universal health coverage."

Riley said white papers will be developed and presented in public meetings to a 20 member stakeholder group, the Advisory Council on Health Systems Development, for their review and then to the Legislature's Joint Select Committee on Health Reform.

The Governor's Office of Health Policy held public forums in each of Maine's eight public health districts and with the Tribal District and held two public hearings with the Council before completing the final plan.

The Plan is available at www.maine.gov/gohpf

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