Napolitano for Arizona Governor - Health Care Plan Policy Paper

The Napolitano Plan for Quality Health Care in Arizona

Access to and affordability of quality health care is one of the most basic and important needs of any community. Unfortunately, Arizona is in the midst of a healthcare crisis that jeopardizes the physical strength of our citizens and the financial strength of our businesses, government agencies, and consumers.

Our state needs a Governor who will lead the charge for better healthcare for all Arizonans, from children and seniors to the mentally ill. As Governor, I will fight for your health by:

Controlling Health Care Costs
The reality: The cost of basic health care is skyrocketing. In 1960, health care costs were $120 billion, or 5% of our Gross National Product. Between then and 2000, the costs exploded to 15% of the GNP, or $1.2 trillion. Prescription drug prices are rising more than three times faster than inflation and represent the largest component of the increased health care costs. This financial burden is particularly harsh on our seniors, employers, government payers, and the uninsured.

• Reduce Drug Costs: Consolidate drug payments under one entity, negotiate directly with drug companies for better prices, allow seniors/disabled to purchase drugs in blocks, collect 100% of federal funds, buy most cost-effective drugs, require drug companies to disclose drug incentive perks, streamline pharmaceutical order entry
• Identify Cost Containment Opportunities: Review AHCCCS expenditures for areas of cost savings such as through the use of transportation brokers
• Lower Employer/Self-Insured Costs: Emphasize better employer tax incentives for health care coverage, explore innovative employer/health provider contracts

Holding Insurance Companies Accountable
The reality: While many are uninsured or underinsured, even fully insured Arizonans experience difficulties receiving timely, quality care. Patient care is threatened when HMO's and insurance companies intrude on doctor-patient relationships and institute unfavorable reimbursement policies. Most consumers still lack sufficient information to make effective decisions about health plans.

• Develop Rating System: Allow consumers to rate their insurance plan's performance on prescription drug benefits and quality of provider network and publish it for other Arizonans

Fully Implement Patients' Bill of Rights
The reality: Most Arizonans are still not aware of their rights as patients, despite the Patients' Bill of Rights passage two years ago. The current law may not be sufficient enough to protect patients.

• Educate Consumers: Work with hospitals, health care providers, and insurers to make Arizonans aware of their rights
• Monitor Implementation: Direct Department of Insurance to review and assess whether the current program adequately supports and protects our state's citizens and determine whether additional action is necessary

Funding AHCCCS, Emergency Care, And Trauma The reality: More than 90% of Arizona's ER's are overcrowded. The federal government has failed to adequately support mandatory emergency care. Tobacco settlement revenues are not enough to provide coverage to the state's working poor. The legislature has failed to supply additional funding. Rural communities are facing severe shortages in health care professionals and emergency room funding.

• Get the Feds to Pay Their Share: Secure funding required by the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act
• Encourage Hospital Innovations: With Proposition 303 and federal money, work with hospitals to develop common sense operational and staffing solutions

Caring For Women And Children
The reality: Arizona ranks second to last nationally in the number of uninsured women and third to last in the number of women who get timely and adequate prenatal care. We rank near the bottom in terms of children's health. Arizona needs a Governor who will make quality health care for women and children a priority.

• Outreach/Awareness: Increase public access to health issues including breast/ovarian cancer and vaccines for kids
• Insure the Needy: Enroll more low-income women in AHCCCS and more children in KidsCare (See position papers on Arizona's women and children)

Addressing Aging Issues
The reality: Arizona's elderly population is growing quickly. In the coming decade, our state will see a higher percentage of Arizonans over 60 than at any time in our history. By 2020, this group will increase from 17% of the state's population to 24%. Arizona needs a Governor who will respond capably and objectively to these challenges, and opportunities.

• Quality Care Facilities: Encourage more adult, home, and community-based facilities and services, holding them to the highest standards of care, taking decisive action to prevent and prosecute elder abuse

Improving Behavioral Health
The reality: Tens of thousands of Arizonans suffer from serious mental illness and substance addiction. The state's behavioral health system experienced a decades-long legislative neglect. As Governor, I will strongly support this system, while holding it accountable to the taxpayers and people the system serves. Increase Access to Services: Support passage of Proposition 303, introduce tax incentives to encourage businesses to offer such coverage, streamline state agencies caring for children, focus on preventive mental illness/substance abuse and quality incarceration treatment, expand law enforcement training for dealing with behavioral disorders, and address the issue of insurance coverage parity without needlessly increasing costs.

Attracting Health Care Professionals
The reality: There is a critical shortage of doctors, nurses, and behavioral health specialists across Arizona, especially in rural areas. Our state has a 16% nursing job vacancy compared with 11% nationwide. Only 12% of our nurses are younger than 30, compared with 19 percent in 1995. We need a Governor who is committed to attracting new doctors and nurses to take care of our residents.

• Recruit New Health Professionals: Actively promote community recruitment efforts, partner with hospitals to create work environments that facilitate employee satisfaction and incentives for medical students to develop their practices here, supplement hospital recruitment efforts with possible scholarships, tax incentives, favorable mortgage programs, and champion university telemedicine endeavors within the legislature.

If you would like more information about Janet Napolitano's Plan for Quality Health Care in Arizona, visit her Web site at www.gojanet.org