Public Meetings in May and June:

DHS Health Care Services Study

The Department of Human Services (DHS) is doing a study to “identify how limited program resources can better be used to buy effective services that will yield better outcomes”.  This study was mandated by the 2003 legislature.  It covers Medical Assistance (MA), General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) and, MinnesotaCare.  It will focus primarily on the fee for service (FFS) population.

Stakeholder meetings will be open to everyone.  The first meeting for the disability population will be on May 13^th, from 9:30 to Noon, at the Roseville DHS office.  The second meeting will be on June 30^th, from 9:30 to noon, at the DHS 444 Lafayette office.  It is important for consumers to attend these meetings and to give input to DHS.

DHS information suggests that there are better outcomes and less cost in managed care systems and the FFS enrollees have “insufficient care coordination, which some studies have linked not only to wastefull, costly duplication, but also poorer outcomes”.

Persons who want to continue in the FFS system for their health care should attend these meetings.