Idaho Governor C.L. Otter recently signed an executive order that established the Idaho Healthcare Coalition, a public-private partnership that will work to develop a patient-centered healthcare system.
IHC members will be appointed by the governor and will consist of representatives of the Idaho Health Care Council and the Idaho Medical Home Collaborative, as well as private healthcare providers, insurers and consumers.
“I’ve been working with Idaho’s healthcare community for years on how to make Idaho’s system more accessible and affordable,” Otter said. “We feel confident now that we have the right model, the right mix of provider and payer autonomy, and the right people at the table to implement our plan.”
The IHC, which will be overseen by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, will implement the State Healthcare Innovation Plan and develop partnerships to support the patient-centered medical home model of care.
Medical neighborhoods that include primary, secondary, specialized care consultants, hospitals, behavioral health and other community support services will be established to support the PCMH model of care.
The IHC will also be tasked with ensuring that public and private health insurers base provider reimbursements on positive health outcomes rather than volume of patient visits.
The Affordable Care Act has changed the healthcare landscape, Otter said, but officials in Idaho have not wavered in their commitment to address the state’s specific needs with specific solutions.