New Hampshire: In his Jan. 4 speech, Gov. John Lynch (D) said the state should help seniors stay in their own homes and communities "not with arbitrary rules, or by making it difficult for eligible seniors to receive Medicaid," but rather by "ensuring that there is the community care available" to give them "quality care and respect." Lynch said he would make health care more affordable and accessible by adopting new technologies, noting that New Hampshire is the first state to institute "an aggressive timetable" -- October 2008 -- for enabling all health care providers to write prescriptions electronically. "Electronic prescribing will reduce medical errors, save lives and save tens of millions of dollars a year in health care costs," he said. Lynch also said the state "must act to expand [the] children's health insurance program this year" (Lynch speech text, 1/4).
North Dakota: In his Jan. 3 speech, Gov. John Hoeven (R) said that the state will "continue to enhance quality services for the people who need them most" by providing "Medicaid funding for low-income individuals, persons with disabilities and seniors to ensure they have access to quality health care." In addition, Hoeven said he would provide "support for long-term care, and also for home- and community-based care" (Hoeven speech text, 1/3).
Virginia: In his Jan. 10 speech, Gov. Tim Kaine (D) said he will work to promote preventive health programs. Kaine also said the state must work with health care providers to increase transparency and put more focus on health care quality and patient safety "to enhance the quality and consistency of care we receive for our medical dollar [and] encourage a more cost-effective use of the system." In addition, Kaine said he has established a Health Reform Commission to identify and address "the growing demand for long-term care services without bankrupting the state treasury." He also noted that he has included start-up funds in his fiscal year 2007-2008 budget for a proposal that would create a "more integrated system of acute and long-term care for the elderly" (Kaine speech text, 1/10).
Wyoming: In his Jan. 10 speech, Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D) said there is a "set of proposals that will be submitted" to the state Legislature "intended to help address the elderly and the citizens who have some of the toughest health problems that we deal with." He said the state will work to adopt "strategies to try to keep [the elderly] in their homes," rather than in nursing homes. Freudenthal noted a proposal to fund high-risk insurance pools, which he said would lower rates for individuals struggling to obtain insurance. He said that expanding coverage within the pool would cost an estimated $5 million, adding, "if we don't make this high-risk insurance pool work, we sooner or later are going to pick these folks up on Medicaid or any other number of programs, but by the time we pick them up, we will have made them essentially impoverished" (Freudenthal speech text, 1/10).
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