Action Areas:
Increasing Value in Health Services
Investing in Prevention
Protecting Against Injury and Disease
Key Healthiest State Measures:
Health Home
Insuring for Prevention
Receipt of Proven Preventive Care
When a person and their family has a trusted relationship with a knowledgeable health
provider, and this results in timely receipt of proven preventive care, the development
of a personal wellness plan, and the compilation of all health records in a single
location, WHF calls it a "Health Home."1
The Washington Health Foundation's
2006 Report Card on Washington's Health tracks at least three measures
to describe what can help Health Homes become universal and effective health promoting
entities. These include insurance coverage, routine contact with a primary care
health provider and timely receipt of several proven preventive services.
As a first step, by 2010 all of Washington's children should have easy access to
a Health Home through targeted education and outreach, expansions in public and
private insurance programs, and improvements in proven school health and public
health services.
Background & Summary:
Health Homes Background & Summary
Closing the Divide: How Medical Health Homes Promote Equity in Health Care
The Commonwealth Fund 2006 Health Care Quality Survey finds that when adults have
health insurance coverage and a medical home—defined as a health care setting that
provides patients with timely, well-organized care, and enhanced access to providers—racial
and ethnic disparities in access and quality are reduced or even eliminated. http://www.commonwealthfund.org/usr_doc/1035_Beal_closing_divide_medical_homes.pdf?section=4039.
2007 Washington State Legislative Bill Watch:
SHB 1071 /
2SSB 5093 |
Concerning access to health care services for children. |
SHB 2098 /
SSB 5930 |
Providing high quality, affordable health care to Washingtonians based on the recommendations
of the blue ribbon commission on health care costs and access. |
|
SB 5100 |
Regarding health insurance information for students. |
|
HB 2238 |
Providing for the completion of comprehensive hearing assessments for infants who
fail a newborn hearing screening. |
1 A Health Home is an entity that promotes
wellness for individuals and families by coordinating care across all health circumstances,
underlying conditions and health service needs. It assures that an individual or
family has the following:
- A central resource for health and wellness information;
- A health partner, advising on decisions and coordinating care;
- A central collection point for individual health information; and
- Active individualized health planning.
This definition is based largely on "Medical Home," a concept
much studied in pediatrics. For young children and for those with chronic or complex
health conditions or health risks, a "Medical Home" should serve as the
Health Home. However, Health Home applies to the entire population and more heavily
emphasizes wellness, with less need for a "health partner" to be a physician.