Minuteman+Health+Initiative

 = = //**__Minuteman Health Initiative __**//

The Minuteman Health Initiative is program creating a new affordable model of co-op health insurance to Massachusetts residents and small businesses. This new new initiative was sponsored by Tufts Medical Center, Vanguard Health Systems, and NEQCA. The program will be funded through the Affordable Care Act also known as Obama Care. They also received an $88.5 million loan from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This member-governed, non-profit insurance for Massachusetts residents intends to offer consumers and employers lower-cost, high quality care with unprecedented transparency and increased efficiency. It hopes to use an integrated system where members and physicians will be able to access records and share records with no problem. Information will be available 24/7 with no downtime.

The system will use EMRs and PHRs allowing providers to see what services are being rendered to their patients even if they did not provide the services themselves. It will also allow employers to have access to info about overall health of their workers to help tailor wellness programs with their employees providers. They will be able to choose the best insurance plan that will meet their employees needs allowing the employer and employee to save time and money. Members will be able to see what services cost at different providers in order to better plan for their future costs. Mostly consumers and small business owners will use it with the goal of having low premiums that most should be able to afford.

So far there are 17 participating hospitals on board already with the plan and more are joining within the state of Massachusetts including Tufts Medical Center, Floating Hospital for children, NEQCA, Vanguard-owned MetroWest Medical Center, and Saint Vincent Hospital. The program is expected to launch no later than Fall 2013 with the approval from Massachusetts Division of Insurance.


 * References **

http://www.minutemanhealth.org/