‘Resolve, To Promote Chronic Disease Prevention and Care’

‘Sec. 1. Care model of chronic disease prevention and care. Resolved: That the Department of Health and Human Services and the Advisory Council on Health Systems Development shall report to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services by January 31, 2008 on the issues detailed in this resolve. To the extent possible, the report must identify public and private resources currently devoted to the promotion of effective prevention and care for chronic diseases, any resource needs to further promote effective prevention and care and strategies to promote the coordination of public and private resources. The report may also include any recommendations for legislation to further promote effective prevention and care for chronic diseases. The issues to be addressed in the report must include the following:

1. The identification and a description of chronic diseases, including, but not limited to, diabetes, cancer, heart and lung disease and depression;

2. Whether prevention is an effective means to reduce the impact of chronic diseases;

3. A description of the care model of chronic disease prevention and care, which includes regular interactions among patients, their families and their formal caregivers, with a focus on maintaining the health of the individual patient with a chronic disease;

4. A description of a pilot program for effective management of care of high-cost MaineCare members and the integration into that pilot program of chronic disease prevention and care; and

5. The use of the State Health Plan, which is released every 2 years by the Governor’s office, with guidance from the Advisory Council on Health Systems Development, as a primary approach to making Maine the healthiest state in the nation.’