HLS 15RS-2827 ENGROSSED
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 186
BY REPRESENTATIVE SIMON
HEALTH: Requests a study to establish baseline data on access to health care in Louisiana
and make recommendations concerning health system reforms that emphasize
prevention and wellness
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To urge and request the Department of Health and Hospitals to study and evaluate the
3 current level of health and well-being of the residents of Louisiana, as well as
4 available and potential models of healthcare delivery to create a Louisiana Health
5 and Wellness Innovation Plan that helps this state to achieve the goal of having the
6 healthiest people in the nation with access to the highest quality, most efficiently
7 delivered health care.
8 WHEREAS, efficient delivery of health care is necessary for the health, safety, and
9welfare of all residents of the state of Louisiana, yet many Louisiana residents have limited
10access to needed health care or have limited healthcare choices; and
11 WHEREAS, many Louisiana residents experience high out-of-pocket costs for health
12care, and the state as a whole experiences high aggregate healthcare costs; and
13 WHEREAS, the provision of high quality healthcare services, regardless of the
14setting, is of paramount importance; and
15 WHEREAS, new and innovative solutions must be identified to correct the problem
16of inefficient healthcare delivery; however, currently, there is insufficient data and
17information on the efficacy of alternative models of healthcare delivery; and
18 WHEREAS, the legislature has received conflicting information concerning whether
19overall access to healthcare in this state is expanding or diminishing, and whether the level
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HCR NO. 186
1of care now available to Louisiana residents is adequate or insufficient, resulting from the
2transformation of the state's healthcare system; and
3 WHEREAS, as evidenced by the passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 111
4of the 2012 Regular Session calling for annual reporting on measures which could improve
5Louisiana's low standing in the annual "America's Health Rankings" report, and by
6numerous other legislative instruments calling for studies and reports on disease prevention
7and treatment and other means of improving health outcomes, the legislature has an ongoing
8and deep concern for the health status and well-being of the people of this state; and
9 WHEREAS, Louisiana needs a healthcare system rooted in primary care and
10prevention, integrated with community resources, and truly accessible to its residents; and
11 WHEREAS, to improve healthcare quality, improve community health, and reduce
12the rate of growth in healthcare spending, Louisiana must foster a shared vision among a
13broad range of stakeholders to establish primary care as the foundation of healthcare delivery
14that is consumer and family-centered, team-based, evidence-driven, and coordinated, and
15in which value is rewarded over volume; and
16 WHEREAS, many individuals and groups are striving to improve the health of
17Louisiana residents and the healthcare system of Louisiana and there is utility in combining
18our disparate efforts in support of the public good; and
19 WHEREAS, nothing limits Louisiana from setting a goal to have the healthiest
20people in the nation with access to the highest quality, most affordable health care which will
21be attained when, compared to the other forty-nine states, Louisiana residents have the
22highest life expectancy, the highest percentage population with access to primary care, and
23the lowest per capita healthcare spending level; and
24 WHEREAS, the best strategy for attaining the state's goals of improved access,
25affordable costs, high quality care, and increased prevention is to strengthen the consumer's
26role in health and health care through innovations in patient-centered care and through
27support for healthy lifestyles; and
28 WHEREAS, this strategy must rest on the foundation of a sound healthcare system
29which requires a sustainable workforce, a strong health information infrastructure, and
30statewide leadership.
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HCR NO. 186
1 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
2urge and request the Department of Health and Hospitals to study and evaluate Louisiana's
3current statewide system of healthcare delivery, the current level of health and well-being
4of the residents of Louisiana, and the available and emerging models of healthcare delivery
5to develop a Louisiana Health and Wellness Innovation Plan to recommend positive reforms
6to move the state's healthcare system in the right direction to meet the state's goal of having
7the healthiest people in the nation with access to the highest quality, most affordable health
8care.
9 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Health and Wellness Innovation
10Plan shall focus on guiding principles which include, without limitation, the following:
11 (1) Whole-person-centered care is more than the integration of medical, oral, and
12behavioral health. It is also the consideration of social, cultural, emotional, and economic
13contexts for well-being. It is team-based, coordinated care for individuals with complex
14needs, provided in the right setting at the right time.
15 (2) Healthy families are the backbone of a strong community. Family health
16improvement requires attention to a community's particular healthcare needs and social
17determinants of health, requires the collaboration of a wide range of community partners,
18and the expansion of a diverse and well-trained workforce that includes non-traditional
19providers such as community health workers.
20 (3) Health information technology powers primary care transformation, enabling
21point of care information and communications, continuous learning, and performance
22improvement. The use of technology for data collection and analytics provides for
23evidence-based approaches to care delivery, population health management, consumer
24access to cost and quality information, and tools to measure achievement of access, quality,
25equity, and cost goals.
26 (4) Quality primary care is the bedrock of an effective healthcare delivery system.
27Access to primary care that is whole-person-centered, safe, effective, equitable, and based
28on the strongest clinical evidence is both fundamental and essential for improving health and
29healthcare outcomes.
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HCR NO. 186
1 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in developing the plan, the department shall
2engage, collaborate with, and obtain information and perspective from stakeholder groups
3with appropriate expertise, including but not limited to the following organizations:
4 (1) The Pelican Institute for Public Policy.
5 (2) The Louisiana Center for Health Equity.
6 (3) The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana.
7 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the secretary of the Department of Health and
8Hospitals shall lead a comprehensive review of the duties required of the department by state
9and federal law, and based upon this review, shall prepare a departmental plan to improve
10the effectiveness with which the various offices of the department interact internally and
11with the residents of this state for the purpose of achieving the highest standard of excellence
12in supporting and promoting the health and well-being of all Louisianians.
13 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the departmental plan requested herein shall
14include but not be limited to a better alignment of the functions of the office of public health
15with the Medicaid program.
16 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department shall provide the Louisiana
17Health and Wellness Innovation Plan and the departmental plan requested by this Resolution
18to the House Committee on Health and Welfare and the Senate Committee on Health and
19Welfare on or before February 1, 2016.
20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
21secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 186 Engrossed 2015 Regular Session Simon
Urges and requests the Dept. of Health and Hospitals to study and evaluate La.'s current
statewide system of healthcare delivery, the current level of health and well-being of the
residents of Louisiana, and the available models of healthcare delivery to develop a
Louisiana Health and Wellness Innovation Plan.
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HCR NO. 186
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Health and Welfare to
the original bill:
1. Delete the requirement that the departmental plan reorganize the Dept. of Health
and Hospitals.
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