With the election just around the corner, now seems like a good time to take a look at what Mike Beebe and Asa Hutchinson plan to do with healthcare when one of them is elected governor.



Asa Hutchinson's Proposals

Hutchinson, the former Third District Republican congressman and undersecretary of homeland security, released his six-point plan in September and two things stood out. He'd like to increase Arkansas' medical trauma capability and create an office of Arkansas Surgeon General.

"Arkansas is one of the few states without a certified trauma center," Hutchinson wrote. "We must be better prepared to deal with potential large-scale trauma disasters. The state must develop and implement a statewide trauma system to be better prepared to handle public health crises including epidemics, natural disasters and even acts of terrorism. A comprehensive system will also allow isolated victims suffering trauma better access to the healthcare they need and deserve."

This seems to echo the comments of Dr. Gene Shelby, a Hot Springs physician and Garland county coroner, running as a Democrat for the state House of Representatives. Shelby has previously stated that to get the funding, he'd introduce legislation that would model the Mississippi plan and levy larger fines on moving violations. A portion of those tickets would then go to help pay for a level 1 trauma center.

While it is true that the state doesn't have a level 1 trauma center, Arkansans do have access to those in surrounding states. And at least two hospitals in Little Rock — UAMS and Baptist Health — are only basically missing the research component that goes along with being a level 1 center.

Hutchinson also asserted, "I'll create a separate office of the surgeon general within the Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services to focus on promoting public health, wellness and disease prevention. Elevating the role of surgeon general will allow Arkansas to more effectively and fully promote programs like Healthy Arkansas and will help to train healthcare providers in school health clinics to focus on preventative care as well as diagnosis."

Gov. Mike Huckabee, who is term-limited and eyeing a run for president, made healthcare the centerpiece of his decade-long tenure. Huckabee also practiced what he preached — he lost about 110 pounds and now runs marathons.

But he didn't have a surgeon general. He did have Dr. Joe Thompson, who might as well have been called one. Thompson currently serves as director of the Arkansas Center of Health Improvement, while also serving as a pediatrician and assistant professor at UAMS. Hutchinson's other plans include:

· Promoting personal responsibility in healthcare.

· Creating a governor's council on affordable health care.

· Expanding healthcare savings accounts.

· Creating a health information technology task force.

Of those, the last is the most interesting. Hutchinson said the task force "would include experts in the healthcare field to evaluate means of using medical technology to enhance the availability of healthcare information, better disease management, and improving the delivery of healthcare in Arkansas. The task force would also study ways to increase the use of 'telemedicine' technology and networked databases between healthcare providers."



Mike Beebe's Plan

Democrat Mike Beebe, the state's current attorney general, released his 12-point healthcare plan early on in the campaign, which calls for:

· Expanding affordable health insurance options for small businesses.

· Using reinsurance programs to stabilize costs.

· Making insurance more affordable by using federal tax credits.

· Promoting the expansion of coverage for the uninsured by building on Medicaid.

· Instituting a health literacy campaign that utilizes preventative care.

· Expanding school health clinics.

· Creating incentives for primary care professionals to provide service in rural areas.

· Attacking the nursing shortage in Arkansas.

· Promoting telemedicine to improve access.

· Promoting the use of electronic medical records to ensure patient control and safe medical accuracy.

· Improving program integrity to ensure money is spent wisely.

· Using home and community-based care for seniors as an option to nursing homes.

Beebe pointed out, "Almost half a million Arkansans do not have healthcare coverage. With almost 20 percent of our state's population without health insurance, the state government must act. The reason we have such a high number of uninsured Arkansans is simply because coverage is too expensive. Less than half of all private sector firms in Arkansas offer health insurance. Of private sector firms, only one in four small businesses can afford to offer coverage for their employees."

In the end, it all comes down to money.




ie.
November 2006