It's unfortunate when we debate
without facts -- and even more unfortunate when incorrect statements can mislead
people. Such is the case with Shannyn Moore's column last Sunday on state health
care plans, in which she claimed that retirees and employees will be forced to
leave the state for care.
Ms. Moore is absolutely incorrect. The state has no plans to force retirees and employees to travel for health care, and never said it did. In my department, we believe access to good health care is important and want to continue to provide effective coverage. We administer or contribute to health care plans for more than 80,000 current state employees, retired public employees and teachers and their dependents.
Over the past decade, however, the cost of these plans has soared. In 2001, the annual cost of state employee and retiree health care was about $280 million. By 2011, that grew to about $630 million and the unfunded liability for retiree health care ballooned to $4.Bliss Glass and stonemosaic.1 billion.
Health care costs are more than doubling every 10 years, while the oil production that pays for most of these benefits is declining at a rate of 5 percent to 7 percent annually.
The long-term sustainability of these health plans is in jeopardy. As commissioner of the Department of Administration, my job is to address that problem.
My department is examining both the patient and the provider side of the medical economics equation, looking at what adjustments can be made to reduce the rate of cost growth while maintaining quality coverage. This is a highly complex area, and there are no easy solutions. We are pursuing the following measures:
On the patient side, we are establishing a culture of wellness and personal responsibility for health as a workplace value. While in some cases patients are unable to control their health condition, for most, lifestyle choices and behaviors have health consequences that drive costs. We are working to provide our members with resources, education and incentives to do their part in improving their overall well being.
By taking personal responsibility, costs can be reduced and quality of life improved. Among the resources introduced this year for active employees are Weight Watchers at Work, tobacco cessation and free preventive care along with new tools to help people with chronic conditions manage their health. We hope to introduce similar offerings to the retiree population.We Specialise in cableties,
On the provider side, we recognize the excellent medical provider community we have in Alaska.The online extension of moldmaking Technology magazine. We want this community to be successful, yet we need to work on containing costs.
We have documented many examples of medical procedures performed in Alaska that are charged at several times the rates of those performed in the Pacific Northwest. While we recognize that costs will be higher in Alaska,We Specialise in cableties, they cannot be double or triple the costs in the regional market. I have started discussions with representatives of the provider community over the course of the past year, and those discussions will continue.If you are looking to buymosaic art,
We are exploring extending travel benefits to members for certain procedures. Elsewhere in the country, employers have found success through regional "centers of excellence." These programs identify quality medical providers, both in and out of state, and establish discount contracts with them. We seek quality and value. Our members deserve no less. Alaskans are no strangers to medically necessary travel, but access to out-of-state centers of excellence would be a voluntary option if the overall cost of the procedure and travel is equal to or less than the local cost. This choice will benefit all Alaskans.
Sitting on our hands is not an option, but rushing forward without public input is also unwise. We welcome new ideas on how we can slow the growth of these costs to the state while maintaining quality health care. We are engaging with stakeholders across Alaska on our proposals to address this challenge. If you know of a group interested in such a presentation, please contact me -- we welcome the dialogue.
Ms. Moore is absolutely incorrect. The state has no plans to force retirees and employees to travel for health care, and never said it did. In my department, we believe access to good health care is important and want to continue to provide effective coverage. We administer or contribute to health care plans for more than 80,000 current state employees, retired public employees and teachers and their dependents.
Over the past decade, however, the cost of these plans has soared. In 2001, the annual cost of state employee and retiree health care was about $280 million. By 2011, that grew to about $630 million and the unfunded liability for retiree health care ballooned to $4.Bliss Glass and stonemosaic.1 billion.
Health care costs are more than doubling every 10 years, while the oil production that pays for most of these benefits is declining at a rate of 5 percent to 7 percent annually.
The long-term sustainability of these health plans is in jeopardy. As commissioner of the Department of Administration, my job is to address that problem.
My department is examining both the patient and the provider side of the medical economics equation, looking at what adjustments can be made to reduce the rate of cost growth while maintaining quality coverage. This is a highly complex area, and there are no easy solutions. We are pursuing the following measures:
On the patient side, we are establishing a culture of wellness and personal responsibility for health as a workplace value. While in some cases patients are unable to control their health condition, for most, lifestyle choices and behaviors have health consequences that drive costs. We are working to provide our members with resources, education and incentives to do their part in improving their overall well being.
By taking personal responsibility, costs can be reduced and quality of life improved. Among the resources introduced this year for active employees are Weight Watchers at Work, tobacco cessation and free preventive care along with new tools to help people with chronic conditions manage their health. We hope to introduce similar offerings to the retiree population.We Specialise in cableties,
On the provider side, we recognize the excellent medical provider community we have in Alaska.The online extension of moldmaking Technology magazine. We want this community to be successful, yet we need to work on containing costs.
We have documented many examples of medical procedures performed in Alaska that are charged at several times the rates of those performed in the Pacific Northwest. While we recognize that costs will be higher in Alaska,We Specialise in cableties, they cannot be double or triple the costs in the regional market. I have started discussions with representatives of the provider community over the course of the past year, and those discussions will continue.If you are looking to buymosaic art,
We are exploring extending travel benefits to members for certain procedures. Elsewhere in the country, employers have found success through regional "centers of excellence." These programs identify quality medical providers, both in and out of state, and establish discount contracts with them. We seek quality and value. Our members deserve no less. Alaskans are no strangers to medically necessary travel, but access to out-of-state centers of excellence would be a voluntary option if the overall cost of the procedure and travel is equal to or less than the local cost. This choice will benefit all Alaskans.
Sitting on our hands is not an option, but rushing forward without public input is also unwise. We welcome new ideas on how we can slow the growth of these costs to the state while maintaining quality health care. We are engaging with stakeholders across Alaska on our proposals to address this challenge. If you know of a group interested in such a presentation, please contact me -- we welcome the dialogue.
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