Doctors in Nebraska are devising a plan they hope can help reduce unnecessary medical expenses and get medical care to every person in the state.
JoANNE YOUNG / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Friday, September 7, 2007 7:00 pm
OMAHA — Doctors in Nebraska are devising a plan they hope can help reduce unnecessary medical expenses and get medical care to every person in the state.
The proposal could require all Nebraskans who are not covered by Medicare to have a health insurance plan that includes preventive, mental health, dental and long-term care.
Insurance for low-income residents could be subsidized using Medicaid funds. And insurers could have to guarantee they would provide and renew policies, with no rejection for people who develop illnesses.
On Friday, a task force of 25 doctors — members of the Nebraska Medical Association — presented a preliminary report on its work to the association’s house of delegates, at its annual meeting in Omaha. The task force will continue to develop the plan in the months ahead.
The group’s goal is to come up with a plan that provides quality, affordable and accessible health care coverage for all Nebraskans while exploring whether medical practice guidelines can reduce unnecessary expense and create reasonable expectations on the part of patients.
Dr. Rowen Zetterman, the association’s president, told the doctors gathered that about 194,000 Nebraskans were uninsured in 2006. Estimates are that 75 people die each year because they don’t have insurance.
Nearly one-third of Latinos and Natives in Nebraska are uninsured.
The biggest group of uninsured Nebraskans are 19 to 34.
Dr. Richard O’Brien, with the Creighton Center for Health Policy and Ethics and co-chairman of the task force, said uninsured Nebraskans add $343 to each insured single person’s premium each year. They add $918 annually to each family policy.
Per-person health expenditures in Nebraska hit $6,339 last year.
The doctors believe there is more than enough money in Nebraska’s health system to pay for any health reform proposal.
Those sources could include: premiums from employers and individuals; existing state and federal Medicaid funds; a payroll tax for employers who do not provide health insurance; penalties for people who do not enroll in the plan; and potential taxes on tobacco and alcohol.
If health plans are required, the task force has considered ways for people to verify they have policies. They include requiring submission of evidence of insurance when filing state tax returns, paying property taxes, enrolling children in school, registering an automobile, obtaining a driver’s license or seeking health care.
At the task force meeting next week, the group will discuss: requiring malpractice claims to be reviewed by a panel of experts before any case could be brought to court, requiring hospitals to report medical errors and hospital-acquired infection rates and a public education program.
O’Brien said the Nebraska Hospital Association has balked at any required reporting of medical errors and infection rates.
Details of the implementation, he said, would be subject to negotiation with hospitals, insurers, employers, legislators and other interested groups.
Dr. Ron Klutman of Columbus, a task force member, told the doctors that what Nebraska physicians are attempting to do could never be accomplished nationally, but it could happen locally.
“I think we have some chance here,” he said.
State Sen. Joel Johnson of Kearney, who is a retired surgeon, told delegates he had nothing but praise for what the task force has done so far.
“I don’t think we have to rush into this,” he said. “We can work at it.”
Johnson raised a caution flag, saying that any proposed legislation will require agreement from other groups.
“Any legislation coming out of the Nebraska Medical Association by itself will go nowhere,” he said.
Reach JoAnne Young at 473-7228 or jyoung@journalstar.com.