Maine a Medicaid Model?

The Commonwealth Fund has released new data demonstrating "shockingly wide" health disparities across the 50 states.  This is the third annual survey, and one reflecting data from 2007, so expect the overall state-by-state performance to get much worse in the coming years.

What's interesting about the results is the exceptions to the general correlation between states with higher incomes and lower poverty rates also having better resident health.  In particular, Maine is singled out for its position in the Top 5 states with good health despite being a relatively poor place.  Some reasons?  It offers Medicaid to childless adults, a rarity, and requires stringent information sharing among providers in order to track and respond to issues like repeat hospitalizations.

The Medicaid extension seems key here, as efforts like SCHIP have improved the "medical safety" net for kids, yet ever more adults are losing health insurance and going without necessary care. According to researchers, places like Minnesota or Massachusetts that perform well also show "a greater willingness to use government to improve social conditions."  Massachusetts has the fewest uninsured adults, with only 7% lacking coverage.

The moral of the story for thinking about universal health care?  Besides that we should maybe be looking to Maine and other states for critical best practices?

"The nation doesn't have one system and one reality, it has at least 50 – each with its own economic, social and demographic characteristics."

"States cannot go it alone. Health reform is needed on a national level."

(Photo of Greenville, ME by Lee Coursey)