Minnesota receives $45 million to expand health reform initiative

Today, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) announced Minnesota as a winner of $45 million in state Innovation Model funding. Minnesota was one of six states to receive the highest level of award. Minnesota’s winning grant proposal, The Minnesota Accountable Health Model, will ensure that every citizen of the state of Minnesota has the option to receive team-based, coordinated, patient-centered care that increases and facilitates access to medical care, behavioral health care, long-term care and other services.

The Minnesota Accountable Health Model was developed using guidelines that emerged from the Governor’s Health Reform Task Force. A significant investment of the $45 million is in health information technology. Other investments will support quality and performance measurement and practices to improve care coordination, and will allow up to 15 Accountable Communities for Health to develop models that integrate care across the health care system.

Implementation of the Minnesota Accountable Health Model will be led by the Commissioner of Human Services and the Commissioner of Health in consultation with a community advisory committee and others. By 2016, nearly 3 million Minnesotans are expected to receive care through the model.

More information is in a news release on the governor’s website.