Beebe Unveils Plan for Affordable, Accessible, Quality

BEEBE UNVIELS PLAN FOR AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE, QUALITY - 6/28/2006

(SPRINGDALE/FT. SMITH/CLARKSVILLE) - Mike Beebe announced a 12-point plan for affordable, accessible and quality health care as part of a Believe in Arkansas Health Care Tour, today, at events in Springdale, Ft. Smith and Clarksville.

"Too many Arkansans can't afford health insurance. Too many Arkansans don't have access to the care they need, and too many seniors don't have the quality choices they deserve," Beebe said. "I have a 12-point plan to improve the affordability, accessibility and quality of our health care. Government can't do everything, but it can help with the cost of health care."

Beebe told the story of a Hot Springs man and a Marion school nurse who were with him the day he filed his candidacy for governor, talking about their concerns for health care coverage and the nursing shortage in Arkansas. In the afternoon, Beebe held a health care forum at Economy Feed and Tack in Fort Smith, where he talked about owner Lee Webb's want to provide health care coverage for his employees but lack of resources to do so.

At the day's events, Beebe detailed his 12-point plan.

Beebe's plan for expanding health care options for small businesses includes expanding the Arkansas Safety Net Program and potentially using the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit.

To address the cost of health care, Beebe proposed using reinsurance for insurers to stabilize premium costs for targeted groups and expanding coverage by Medicaid programs like ARKids First and the AR Senior program. Beebe said he plans to evaluate the current match rates to ensure that these programs are maximizing the use of federal dollars. Beebe said he will promote health literacy campaigns through existing infrastructures like the UAMS Center on Aging to increase health care literacy and save consumer dollars.

To improve health care accessibility, Beebe said he would expand school health clinics, create incentives for primary care professionals service in rural and urban centers, attack the nursing shortage in Arkansas and promote telemedicine programs through existing structures like the UAMS ANGELS program.

To attack the nursing shortage, Beebe said he would establish a permanent Nursing Workforce Center in Arkansas.

To improve the quality of care in Arkansas, Beebe said he would promote the use of standardized electronic medical records, implement the office of Inspector General to examine how state dollars are spent through Medicaid programs and utilize home and community-based care for seniors as an option to nursing home care.

Beebe spoke at health care forums at the Schmeiding Center in Springdale, Economy Feed and Tack in Fort Smith, and a health care meeting in Clarksville. He will host another health care forum at UAMS in Little Rock, Thursday. He said his health care policy would be published on his Web site, www.mikebeebe.com, at the close of the week.

THE BEEBE PLAN: HEALTH CARE - Affordability, Accessibility, Quality

1. Expand affordable health insurance options for small businesses
2. Use reinsurance program to stabilize costs
3. Make insurance more affordable using federal tax credits
4. Promote the expansion of coverage for the uninsured by building on Medicaid
5. Institute a health literacy campaign utilizing preventative care
6. Expand school health clinics
7. Create incentives for primary care professionals to provide service in rural areas
8. Fix the nursing shortage in Arkansas
9. Promote telemedicine to improve access and affordability
10. Promote use of electronic medical records to ensure patient control and safe medical accuracy
11. Improve program integrity to ensure money is spent wisely
12. Utilize home and community-based care for seniors as an option to nursing homes

http://www.mikebeebe.com/newsroom_details.asp?id=867