AUGUSTA, Maine — The proposed 2010-2012 State Health Plan was officially aired Wednesday at public hearings in Portland and Augusta.
The biennial document is used by policymakers, lawmakers, health care providers and others to guide public policy in Maine’s health care and public health systems. It also helps establish a capital investment spending limit for hospitals and this year includes a lengthy section aimed at paving the way for national health reform and taking advantage of new federal funding opportunities.
At an afternoon hearing in Augusta, Peter Kraut of the Maine Primary Care Association urged members of the Advisory Council on Health Systems Development, which develops the State Health Plan, to include a stronger focus on the role of community health centers. The primary care association represents the interests of outpatient clinics that serve a large number of low-income and uninsured patients as well as those covered by Medicare and Medicaid.
The national health reform law sets aside upward of $11 billion to build new health centers and expand the capacity of existing ones, Kraut said. Many community clinics provide not only medical care but also on-site mental health and dental care, he said, making it more likely that patients will maintain a “medical home” and receive comprehensive services.
“This plan should include maximizing the use of federal funds in Maine,” Kraut said.
Andrea Irwin of the research and advocacy agency Consumers for Affordable Health Care said the plan should include a statement affirming access to health care as a basic human right and should promote transparency in the health care system.
David Winslow, vice president for finance for the Maine Hospital Association, said the panel should reflect the impact of the lingering economic recession on Maine hospitals’ spending for large-scale brick-and-mortar projects. Many hospitals have sidelined important projects that will need the state’s approval when the econ-omy improves, he said.
Although the plan doesn’t directly identify a spending limit for hospital projects, it does help guide the development of the so-called Capital Investment Fund. Hospitals must submit proposals for big-ticket projects to the state’s Certificate of Need office, which determines whether the proposals are both necessary to meet the goals of the two-year health plan and affordable under the spending cap.
Andrew MacLean of the Maine Medical Association said the state health plan addresses “all the significant health issues of our times.” But he cautioned that many changes lie ahead as the initiatives associated with national health reform take effect.
Public comment on the draft 2010-2012 State Health Plan will be accepted until the close of business on June 18. The draft may be viewed online at the website of the Governor’s Office of Health Policy and Finance: www.maine.gov/governor/baldacci/cabinet/health_policy.html.
