Ned's Plan for Affordable, Accessible Health Care
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Ned's Plan for Affordable, Accessible Health Care
3. Healthy Lifestyles
Where else does the money go? It pays for conditions like heart disease that crop up when people don't have healthy eating habits. Our children are particularly at risk. They belong to the first generation that may live shorter lives than their parents, a sad reality driven by obesity and diabetes.11 In Connecticut, obesity costs the state over $400 million per year in the Medicaid program alone.12
As the CEO of a small business, I believe that markets work, that if good food is available at fair prices, people will buy it. As governor:
- I will eliminate "food deserts," figuring out ways to get healthy and affordable food to areas without it. Regular Fresh Direct or Peapod deliveries to churches and community centers could go a long way.
- I will make Connecticut's schools the healthiest in America. They will have salad bars, limits on junk food, and full-time PE. Most of our schools are already moving in this direction; I want to make it 100%.
- I will lead state government towards better eating. I will limit junk food in vending machines and cafeterias in state facilities and encourage state employees to embrace healthier lifestyles.
4. Nursing Home Care
Nursing home costs can be overwhelming for the average family, and they're swamping our state budget as well. In 2009, the state spent $1.6 billion on institutional care for 19,000 people under Medicaid. And the problem will only get worse: by 2025, Connecticut will have 40% more people over 65, and long-term care spending will more than double.13
Traditionally, Medicaid paid only for institutional long-term care. As a result, many people who could have been cared for in the community have gone to nursing homes instead.
Across the country, states have moved from costly nursing homes to more affordable, more popular community-based care. States like New Mexico and Oregon spend markedly less and report much higher satisfaction. People prefer to age at home.14
However, in 2008 Connecticut only spent 36% of its Medicaid long-term care dollars on home and community-based care-the rest went to institutions. New Mexico, on the other hand, spent 73%.15 Connecticut is behind: only two states have a higher percentage of seniors in nursing homes.16 There has been a profound lack of leadership, and we are wasting hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars each year.
Focus long-term care leadership. The state's current goal is to increase the percentage of people receiving home and community-based care from 53% to 75% by 2025. That would mean savings of $900 million in 2025.17 Why wait until then? If New Mexico can do it, so can Connecticut.
- I will appoint a long-term care czar who will give people more choice and ensure long-term care capacity and quality. Our seniors deserve excellent nursing homes and community-based care.
- I will integrate the many different long-term care programs and agencies-we must fix and focus today's fragmented system.
Reform long-term care payment and simplify access. I will work within the new national health law to develop a long-term care system that pays for the care people need, in the setting best for them. The system will be flexible, allow patient choice, and focus on patients' level of need without regard to age or type of disability.
Our current system is confusing and upsetting to many of our most frail citizens. We must treat our elderly and disabled with more respect and get them the services they deserve more efficiently.
- I will work with the federal government to allow home and community-based providers to receive Medicaid reimbursement for the services they provide, so that people can be cared for at home if they choose, depending on their level of need.
- I will speed development of four PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) sites, which specialize in keeping people with a high level of need in the community. These programs could be particularly effective in our cities.
5. Mental Health Care
The same leadership void that affects long-term care plagues mental health care in Connecticut. During any given year, 1 in 4 adults suffer from mental disorder.18 Yet, care is too often fragmented and insurance coverage inadequate-despite a parade of commissions and studies over the years.
As governor, I will act. We cannot afford for so many people, from veterans to children, to fall through the cracks: it is neither humane nor cost-effective. Early intervention can prevent more serious conditions later, just as preventative efforts do in traditional medicine.- I will fix the gridlock between state and local agencies and link their data systems to allow effective communication between mental health professionals.
- I will provide better public education to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and encourage people to seek help when needed. Stigma is real, and it impedes access, treatment, and recovery.
- I will work alongside providers to make community-based care a better option for more adults and children. For instance, we will preserve families by keeping children at home whenever possible.
Conclusion
We live in a unique time for health care. We face great challenges: a severe recession is taking its toll on our pocketbooks and on our health-we all know economic worries fuel unhealthy stress. Yet we have new opportunities. Last year, we passed Sustinet, a health plan that will encompass people currently covered by the state. Under my watch, it will also allow small businesses and municipalities and those without employer health insurance to buy into the same pool as state workers, relieving some of the burden of insurance premiums.
Sustinet is an opportunity for real change. As governor, I will appoint a strong health care executive who implements best practices from across the nation. GE has been a pioneer in using its $2.5 billion in purchasing power to drive change in the quality and cost of its care. Good health is good business-healthy workers are more productive. Imagine what we can do with more purchasing power than GE.
Connecticut needs a governor who will capitalize on this opportunity, who will fix what is broken and build on what works. Our families, businesses, and budget are desperate for relief, and our future prosperity is on the line. With the right leadership, Connecticut can lead the nation in health care innovation. Our entrepreneurs can market their innovations to other states, creating jobs and giving our citizens the health care system they deserve. But we can just as easily miss this opportunity. We will either lead or lose-and I am ready to lead.